Diamondbacks 14: Brewers 3: Arizona Commits Parra-cide

Looks like the Diamondbacks saved the best for last, the offense scoring a pre-season high fourteen runs, on their way to an easy victory over the Brewers at Chase Field this afternoon. Willie Bloomquist finished a single short of the cycle for Arizona, who scored seven runs in the fifth inning, not so much unlocking a 3-3 tie, as kicking the door in and carrying out an enthusiastic SWAT raid on it. Unlike last night, this damage was not against pitchers whose jersey numbers were higher than their velocity. Milwaukee's Manny Parra was the victim, failing to retire any of the six batters faced in that fifth. I'm afraid "evil Parra" implies rather too much competence today. Is "inept Parra" available?

I guess we're ready for a real challenge on Friday.

As expected, this was a split start, with both Joe Saunders and Trevor Cahill seeing time this afternoon. Saunders opened things up, and worked the front five innings, with his only real mistake being deposited into the bleachers by Corey Hart for a three-run shot, that represented the Brewers' entire offense this afternoon. He gave up five hits and a walk in his five frames, with five strikeouts and three runs allowed. Cahill took the last four, and only allowed one hit and a walk, with two K's. He kept the Brewers off the board, though by the end, what he was facing could hardly be described as a major-league caliber line-up. Still, a 6:2 GB/FB ratio is what we want to see from Trevor.

17 hits and five walks for the Diamondbacks this afternoon, so plenty of fun there. Willie stole a couple of bases and was 3-for-3, including the only home-run for Arizona. It was a two-run shot for Bloomquist, which followed a Saunders single. And if I have to write that sentence again, at any point in the 2012 campaign, I'll be astonished. The homer was off Shaun Marcum: as per SnakePit policy, I have to include this link. He was chased with one out in the fifth, and ended up allowing five runs on seven hits, albeit in part because of the spectacular explosion of Inept Parra which followed, at near-volcanic levels.

Still, wouldn't get your hopes up too much of a repeat by Bloomquist. After a decade and 845 games in the majors, know how many times he has generated seven total bases in a contest? Twice. A.J. Pollock and Jason Kubel joined in the fun, each getting a couple of hits, with a hit and a walk for each of Justin Upton, Miguel Montero and Lyle Overbay. Matt Williams' son Jake also got a hit, driving in two runs with a pinch-hit double to the wall in right, That must have been a thrill, even though the announced crowd of 13,323 was a tiny fraction of what will be present the next time the doors of Chase Field open on Friday.

Hefty Gameday Thread - good to see so many flexing their commenting muscles. Bcawz topped the list, ahead of Clefo and grimmy01. Also involved in the discussion this afternoon were: G.O.B., blue bulldog, Dan Strittmatter, snakecharmer, dbacks25, 4 Corners Fan, kishi, BattleMoses, Jim McLennan, txzona, cdubb, Diamondhacks, SenSurround, Baja F1, Gildo, CaptainCanuck, jjwaltrip, NASCARbernet and PR151. The next time we convene in one of these will be on Friday afternoon, to see Ian Kennedy take on Tim Lincecum, as the 2012 campaign finally gets under way. Can't wait.

However, we will be keeping busy here on the 'Pit in the meantime, so be sure to check back often between now and then, as the countdown to Opening Day is completed. Any interest in s pseudo-Opening Day Gameday Thread for all the other contests tomorrow?