Record: 1-1. Change on 2025: +1. 5-inning record: 0-2.
Yeah, after yesterday’s well-pitched endeavor, this was very much the opposite. It was probably worse than the score actually indicates, since the Diamondbacks put up a crooked number in both the eighth and ninth innings, to leave the final tallies looking more respectable than they deserved to be. After a scoreless first inning for Mitch Bratt, things got out of hand quickly. Colorado scored five in the second though to be fair, Bratt wasn’t helped by two misplays at the hot corner from LuJames Groover (only one being scored an error). His replacement out of the pen, Zane Russell, then faced four batters without retiring anyone, and that was the end of this as a contest.
All told, the D-backs needed ten pitchers to get through the game. Casey Anderson, who replaced Russell in the second, was a rare bright spot, striking out both hitters he faced. Alfred Morillo, Yu-Min Lin and Spencer Giestling were all charged with multiple runs, though Lin did come back out for a seven-pitch second inning, after initially being lifted with two outs in the fourth. I got quite excited seeing Diaz work a clean seventh with a pair of K’s, though turns out this was Indigo rather than Yilber. All told, Arizona pitchers struck out thirteen, but walked eight, all in the first six innings. Must do better there.
On offense, Jordan Lawlar got the team on the board with a home-run in the second (above). Though he may not be a fan of the new ABS system getting rung up on three straight called strikes his next time up – two of which were successfully appealed balls! He also walked, while Tim Tawa also had a hit and a walk. Tawa’s replacement, Tommy Troy, went 2-for-2, including an RBI double in the ninth. And keeping up with the ABS score, there were eight challenges during today’s game, five of which proved successful. Rockies’ catcher Hunter Goodman was particularly effective, being perfect in his three challenges.
Tomorrow, the team gets to face someone apart from the Rockies for the first time. They face the Angels at Salt River, with another 1:05 pm start, and Kohl Drake the scheduled starter.