Record: 7-6-3. Change on 2013: +2.
As I mentioned in the Gameday Thread, looks like another "meh" kinda outing for Patrick Corbin, as he went five innings, allowing three runs on six hits, with no walks and four strikeouts. That's pretty much in line with his previous two outings this spring, where he allowed two runs over four innings on each occasion, allowing four and five hits respectively. That gives him a combined line so far of 13 innings pitched, with seven runs allowed on 15 hits. Not a bad K:BB ratio, at 10:3, but the overall ERA of 4.85 is definitely a little higher than I'd like. With only one outing left before Opening Day in Sydney, it has been an okay spring for Patrick, rather than spectacular.
Tonight, the two sides didn't even bother with a token gesture at settling things, the game ending after the regulation nine innings by the mutual agreement of the two managers. There was a solid series of performances from our bullpen, who kept the Mariners hitless the rest of the way, allowing only two hits with six strikeouts in four innings. Will Harris walked his first batter, than struck out the next four of the K's as part of his two innings, while Joe Thatcher fanned two in his perfect eighth, and Joe Paterson also faced the minimum in the ninth, picking off the runner he allowed with a two-out walk.
The Diamondbacks came back from a 2-0 deficit, after Corbin allowed two runs in the top of the second. The first came across when a runner reached on a fielder's choice after fan interference put men on second and third with one out, and the second scored on a sacrifice fly. We got one run back in the fourth, after Martin Prado led off for Arizona with a double, coming round to score on a pair of groundouts. However, Seattle re-established their two-run lead immediately, a lead-off triple coming home one out later.
Still, the home team closed the gap permanently in their half of the fifth. Gerardo Parra singled and A.J. Pollock continued his hot spring with a one-out double. A passed ball brought us to within one and, after Aaron Hill walked, Paul Goldschmidt tied things up with a sacrifice fly of our own. We had a chance to take the lead in the seventh, Tony Campana walking, stealing second and being on third with one down, but Matt Tuiasosopo went down swinging, and Campana was the last base-runner for the Diamondbacks. Hill reached safely all three times, on two hits and a walk, while Parra had a hit and a walk.
Maybe we'll get some kind of result tomorrow, as we face the Cleveland Indians, again at Salt River Fields, in an afternoon game. While I have not had this confirmed, I imagine it'll probably be Trevor Cahill starting for Arizona.