NL West storylines by the numbers

No game is defined by its numbers more than baseball. And the 2018 edition of the National League West has certainly seen its share of bizarre stats.

With 2 1/2 weeks remaining in the tightest three-way division race in baseball, here's a look at the key number which best explains why all five teams in the NL West find themselves in their current predicament.

Lovullo on bullpen's struggles D-BACKS

The number: 5

What it means: When the D-backs got rolling in 2017, they rolled. They pieced together winning streaks of 13 games, seven games and -- on three occasions -- five games.

This year, their longest winning streak has been five, and they've reached that mark only once -- in early May. Indeed,…