When the Arizona Diamondbacks dished out $206.5 million to Zack Greinke and unloaded a ton of young talent to acquire Shelby Miller from the Atlanta Braves, the club believed it was acquiring a dynamic one-two punch atop the rotation.
And while the 2016 campaign is just barely underway, the Diamondbacks' big acquisitions are off to a historically poor start.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, the pair allowed 13 earned runs in their first two combined starts - which is the most earned runs the franchise has ever allowed in the first two starts of a season.
Although red-hot rookie Trevor Story is responsible for a lot of the damage against Greinke and Miller over those two contests, the Colorado Rockies combined to record 17 hits and hammer six home runs off the right-handers.
First starts of 2016
| Player | IP | H | R | ER | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zack Greinke | 4 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 3 |
| Shelby Miller | 6 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 3 |
After the rough start against the Rockies, things aren't going to get any easier for either pitcher. They'll likely each get a starting nod against the World Series favorite Chicago Cubs in a four-game home series that starts Thursday.
