Mike Hazen Expects D-backs to Stick With What Got Them Here

As the Diamondbacks prepare to play the Milwaukee Brewers tomorrow in the National League Wild Card round, Mike Hazen didn't beat around the bush when asked how he feels about his team making the postseason. "I feel great!, I feel great that we're playing in the playoffs".

Alluding to the comments lately that the D-backs may have backed into the playoffs, Hazen said "Whatever the dynamics or situation surrounding it, we're here to play and we're here to win"

Hazen was emphatic in stating that the Diamondbacks must stay true to the team identity when it comes to pressing the envelope on the bases and putting pressure on the other team. That's when they're at their best.

 "It's part of the fabric of what we do, it's part of our DNA, it's why we're here. We have speed, we have smart base runners, we are capable of taking extra bases , we're capable of putting pressure on the opposition in ways that doesn't necessitate a three-run home run."

Hazen did not feel that the recent cold spell at the plate for the Diamondbacks would carry over into the postseason. 

"That's over now. It's brand new ......I don't necessarily think it's going to translate because of how we've swung the bats over the last week. .....Our offense is capable of exploding, we've done that through stretches this year. And with the speed and ability to do some other things I feel like some of that can translate in playoff baseball as well"

While Hazen's confidence in his team is what one would expect, it bears noting that the D-backs offensive struggles stretch much further back than the last week of the regular season. 

Over the first 81 games of the season, the Diamondbacks scored 5.2 runs a game while posting a .265 batting average and .769 team OPS. Over the final 81 games, those numbers dropped to 4.0 runs per game on a .235 batting average and .689 OPS. 

Perhaps the pressure of trying to get back in a groove for much of the second half wore on the hitters. Now that they're here in the postseason, however, they are playing with house money. 

"The talent is for sure there. I think our team is going to have the ability to go out and play free, go out and play with an ease about us. Nobody expected us to be here at the beginning of the season. I think we expected to be here. I'm not sure too many people else that did."

Hazen started to really believe the team would make the postseason at the beginning of June, thinking the team would get to the mid-80s in wins. When the team reached 16 games over .500 on June 12th, it came as a surprise to even the General manager. "I didn't envision that as being part of the story for us at that point in time.....at that point in time the offense had taken a jump way forward from where we projected some of the guys" 

While the team fell into a slump in July and August, they battled through it to rebound and earn their way into the postseason legitimately. There were plenty of highs, including taking six out of seven from the Cubs. Hazen swatted away the notion of backing into the playoffs, pointing out that they went into all those games against the Cubs behind them and came out of it ahead of them. 

Hazen said he was disappointed that he did not acquire a starting pitcher at the trade deadline. "The cost we had to weigh vs. what was being asked for...I think I said look taking Alek Thomas off the team, that would have been the cost for some cases, and I didn't want to do that." 

Hazen went on to say the ask was sometimes that high even for non-controllable pitchers. He also made clear there were other choices and permutations, that was just one example of the type of deal he was being asked to make to get a starter. 

"I wish we had acquired a starting pitcher. That was one of the things we wanted to accomplish at the deadline and I didn't get that done. But we're here in the series in the playoffs, we've got three really good starting pitchers. I think our bullpen is certainly much better than it was at the deadline. That's a weapon in a playoff series to have four to five deep in your bullpen to shorten games up."

Bullpen construction became a topic near the end of the press conference. Prior to the deadline, the team utilized a closer-by-committee approach, ultimately forcing Torey Lovullo to try to ride the hot hand. It failed miserably as each of the setup guys was not able to maintain success closing out games in the ninth inning, taking turns blowing 9th-inning leads. That issue was resolved with the acquisition of Paul Sewald from Seattle. Immediately the rest of the bullpen moved into more suitable roles and the results have been a tremendous improvement in the bullpen overall, not just in the ninth inning.  

"This is on me, not having a closer from day one. I think if the team had a closer from day one the guys in front would have pitched the way they did for longer during the season and I think this team would be in a slightly different spot."

As always Hazen's honesty and accountability are refreshing qualities. Stay tuned to Inside the Diamondbacks for more coverage of the postseason.