It appears that the Arizona Diamondbacks have a different lineup every game. They have players who can play multiple positions and that has given manager Kirk Gibson multiple options to put a winning lineup together.
Now it looks like Gibson has found his new double play combo with shortstop Stephen Drew and the tattoo heavy second baseman Ryan Roberts.
Yesterday in a 5-3 losing effort to the defending World Series champions, the San Francisco Giants, Drew and Roberts combined for five double plays. That’s a franchise record.
So with that in mind, does Drew and Roberts make the ideal middle infield for the Diamondbacks?
Offensively it does.
Ryan Roberts is hitting .345 with two home runs and six runs batted in this season, mostly at third base, and Stephen Drew is hitting .313 with six runs batted in as well.
So when you combine the duo’s early hitting success and their defensive chemistry, does it seem possible to have those two in the middle infield for the long run this season?
“It’s possible,” Arizona Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said in Saturday’s post game press conference, “Kelly’s our second baseman, Ryan’s played there for a while so it’s possible.”
After having a career year last year with a career high 26 HR and 71 RBI, Arizona’s main second baseman Kelly Johnson is hitting .157 so far this season.
Granted, it’s early, but there are still ways in which Gibson can keep the new double play combo, Kelly Johnson, and hot hitting leadoff man Willie Bloomquist in the lineup.
Willie has been a utility man his entire career and can easily man the hot corner and Kelly Johnson was an outfielder for the Atlanta Braves before moving to second base.
“He can also catch.” Diamondbacks manager Gibson said to end the press conference.
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