Four Takeaways from Diamondbacks' Impressive Sweep of Marlins

The Diamondbacks completed a three-game sweep of the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. They've won three consecutive series and five in total. They now sit at 12-7 on the season.

While this hot start hasn't translated much to the National League West standings, as they still sit in fourth place, they hold the fourth-best record in all of Major League Baseball. That speaks more about the quality of teams in the division than the Diamondbacks' level of play to begin the season.

Here are four takeaways from Arizona's impressive road series sweep of the Marlins.

1. Diamondbacks Played Downhill Baseball All Series

The Diamondbacks never trailed for a single inning in the series. They outscored the Marlins 9-2 in the first three innings of the three games, allowing them to take early leads and play downhill from there.

To play downhill, Arizona needed good starting pitching to keep the Marlins from chipping away. They got that from Merrill Kelly, Brandon Pfaadt, and Eduardo Rodríguez, who combined for five runs (three earned) in 17 innings, striking out 24 and walking only three. The three starters each picked up a win in the series for their efforts.

Over their last eight starts, the Diamondbacks' starting rotation has pitched 47.1 innings. They have not allowed more than three runs in a start, and have pitched at least five innings in all of them. Their ERA over that stretch is 2.28 with 42 strikeouts to 14 walks. It's no surprise the team has a 7-1 record.

Having quality starting pitching is paramount for the Diamondbacks to win games. They entered the series with a five-game quality start streak. While the streak ultimately ended, the fact that the rotation was able to keep the Marlins down allowed the offense to build a big lead and allowed for manager Torey Lovullo to use the bullpen more strategically.

Overall, the Diamondbacks led in 24 of the 27 innings. It's a remarkable feat to have control of the games throughout the entire series, no matter who the opponent is. The Marlins were a bit of a dangerous opponent, entering the series with an 8-7 record and sneaking up on teams, with a big series against the Chicago Cubs coming up, but Arizona took care of business in the way they should.

2. Home Cooking for Pavin Smith

The Jupiter, Florida native had a great series returning home against the Marlins. Smith went 6-for-11 in the series with a double and two home runs, driving in three. He recorded two hits apiece in all three games of the series, creating a spark in the middle of the lineup.

Smith entered the series with not-so-great numbers at loanDepot Park, hitting .235 with a .760 OPS. After the series, he's now sporting a triple slash of .311/.385/.644 in Miami with four home runs. The four home runs are tied with Busch Stadium and Daikin Park for the most home runs Smith has hit in a stadium other than his home park of Chase Field.

The decision for the Diamondbacks to entrust Smith with the designated hitter role against right-handed pitching and let Joc Pederson walk in free agency has proven to be a smart one. He's off to a great start, batting .404 with four home runs and a 1.236 OPS. On the flip side, Pederson is hitting .065 with a .260 OPS.

3. Josh Naylor Haunts Former Club

10 years ago, the Marlins selected Naylor with the 12th overall pick. The Diamondbacks' first baseman has since been traded three times, the first going from Miami to San Diego in a deal that involved pitchers Carter Capps, Luis Castillo, and Jarred Cosart at the 2016 trade deadline for Andrew Cashner and Colin Rea.

While it took a while for Naylor to establish himself as a big leaguer, later being dealt to the Cleveland Guardians in 2020, he made sure to remind his former club what they're missing out on. He homered in all three games, all solo shots.

Naylor is off to a great start to the season, hitting .324 with four home runs, more walks (10) than strikeouts (7), and a .979 OPS. The 27-year-old first baseman is primed to have the best season of his career in his final year of team control.

Like with Pavin Smith, the decision to pivot toward Josh Naylor after losing Christian Walker in free agency is looking prudent in hindsight.

4. Top Four Hitters Continue to Carry the Offensive Load

Since the injury to Ketel Marte two weeks ago, the Diamondbacks' lineup has looked top-heavy of late. They've gotten a ton of production from the top four spots in the order, with inconsistent offense from the bottom five spots in the order.

For the series, the combination of Corbin Carroll, Geraldo Perdomo, Pavin Smith, and Josh Naylor combined to go 17-for-50 (.340) at the plate with nine extra-base hits, seven home runs, seven walks, and 18 RBI.

While the Diamondbacks have enjoyed All-Star level production from their top four hitters, all of whom are batting well over .300 with a .900 OPS on the season, there will come a time when they need the bottom half of the lineup to contribute more often.

Getting Marte back from the injured list should help in that department, although they'll need Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Eugenio Suárez, and Gabriel Moreno to start picking it up offensively. Gurriel and Suárez are hitting below .150 on the season, and Moreno has yet to record an extra-base hit. When all four hitters start to click at the plate, expect the Diamondbacks to be one of the top offenses in baseball.

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