Snake Bytes: 12th April, 2010 - Pirates Hung, Drawn and Quartered

What a difference an inning makes. Without that phenomenal , we might have had a mediocre 3-3 homestand, but instead, we are 4-2, having put up the biggest inning in the National League for almost exactly seven years. The last time, the Phillies mauled the Reds as we did, for 13 in the fourth - but did it, appropriately, on the 13th day of the fourth month, 2003 (and didn't score at all the other eight frames).

We should really do that more often. I wasn't in the thread, but my feelings definitely mirrored those of the participants after the Pirates took a 4-2 lead: oh-oh... There was no wifi on the train down, so I was reduced to checking the score on Mrs. SnakePit's phone, which had a rapidly dwindling battery: imagine my joy when I saw that we had scored seven times... and little did I know we were barely half way through the scoring.

Anyway. recaps, an injury update on Montero, and other stuff after the jump - it's the last time I'll be doing this, since it's back to work for me tomorrow. Zephon will hopefully be settled enough into Zephily Mansions to take over from here!

Game Recaps

• Let's start with our SB Nation colleagues [Bucs Dugout] Daniel McCutchen, Hayden Penn Get Smashed - Bucs Dugout - "This game was like a bad keg party--you have a few minutes of fun, then do the same thing for too long, then make a bad decision or two, and all of a sudden there's upchuck all over the floor."
• [MLB.com] D-backs' record fourth sinks Pirates - "The fourth inning for the D-backs on Sunday afternoon was a lot like that pink bunny you see on the battery commercial.It just kept going and going and going."
• [MLB.com] Snyder big first day as starter - Snyder matched a career high with five RBIs... [and who] was suffering from flu-like symptoms, did not even take batting practice Sunday. "I was napping in the trainer's room," he said. So how does he explain the way he swung the bat? "Cause I wasn't thinking about playing baseball," Snyder said. "I was just thinking about battling through."
• [AZ Central] Arizona Diamondbacks use 13-run 4th inning to whip Pittsburgh Pirates - "That inning is hard to describe, other than it was very good by our offense," Diamondbacks manager A.J. Hinch said. "One guy after the other, getting the at-bat to the next guy. We stuck it to them with some big hits, and it was unlike any other inning I've seen or that you could expect."
• [Yahoo!] Jackson homers in Arizona's record 13-run burst - "When I saw (center fielder Andrew) McCutchen break down I knew it was gone, but I didn’t know off the bat it was gone," said Edwin Jackson
• [Fox Sports Arizona] Post-Game Report (April 11): Snyder jumps right in - *The D-backs do trust their hitters. Stephen Drew was given the green light to swing at a 3-0 pitch with two runners on in the fourth inning, and he lined it into right-center for a triple.

News and Notes

• [Fox Sports Arizona] Montero to the DL "An MRI done Saturday night determined the damage to the meniscus, and Montero is to undergo another MRI on Monday to check for possible ligament damage. Surgery will not be performed until all tests are completed... The recovery period for a professional athlete who has undergone arthroscopic surgery for torn meniscus is from 4-to-8 weeks, according to the website of the Orthopedic Center of St. Louis."
• [AZ Central] Arizona Diamondbacks recall John Hester from minors to back up Chris Snyder - "Obviously it's very exciting to be here," he said. "Being in the big leagues is a great thing. It's my goal as a player. I wish it was under better circumstances, though. You don't wish an injury upon anybody, especially a player like Miggy. I know I still have a lot to learn, but I feel comfortable up here... When I get a chance to play, I'll take advantage of it."
• Only two teams in the NL have scored 15 or more runs on a dozen or less hits since 2000. Both of them did in the last week - Arizona yesterday, and Atlanta against the Cubs on Opening Day.
• We have scored 41 runs in the first six games. Last season, run #41 didn't appear until game thirteen.

With an off-day today, let's hear from you how you think the first week has gone. Who has impressed, who has disappointed and what you expect to see from the upcoming series on the road, against the Dodgers and Padres.