Diamondbacks 3, Yankees 4: A Miley Too Far

The Diamondbacks started the game off with a bang- or, rather, with your proverbial "bloop and a blast." A.J. Pollock hit a pop into shallow right-center to lead off the game that somehow managed to just find the grass as four Yankees fielders rushed to get a glove on it. After a Martin Prado ground out, Paul Goldschmidt took advantage of the short porch in right field and hammered a pitch into the stands to give Arizona a 2-0 lead. C.C. Sabathia looked like he might be vulnerable in the early inning, walking Miguel Montero and giving up a single to Cody Ross, but he struck out Alfredo Marte and got Gerardo Parra to fly out to end the inning, keeping the damage at two runs.

On the mound, Wade Miley was on his game. He didn't put up too many clean innings, but he was getting the Yankees out and keeping them from taking advantage of the runners they got- a lead off single was erased by a double play in the first, a walk in the third and a HBP in the fourth never moved up to second, a two-out double in the sixth inning was stranded there. Through the first six innings, Wade Miley did what he could to give the Diamondbacks a chance to win this game. He was helped out by some nice defense, too, notably from Martin Prado.

The offense, though, didn't make as much of an impact. Sabathia settled in after the first, not giving up another baserunner until Gerardo Parra put down a perfect bunt single in the top of the fourth with two out, though he was stranded as Cliff Pennington was struck out looking. The bats finally made a little noise in the fifth inning, getting a triple from Josh Wilson- yes, we were all surprised. A.J. Pollock gave us a sacrifice fly to bring in Wilson, and the DBacks took a 3-0 lead. In the top of the sixth, Cody Ross singled and worked his way around to third base, but couldn't come around to score, and that was the last we heard from our offense tonight. Would it be enough?

Well, you probably already read the headline and know the answer to this is no. Sorry. Should have tagged it as a spoiler.

Miley looked good through six, but obviously ran out of gas in the seventh inning against the bottom of the lineup. And the bullpen seemed slow to respond. Miley gave up a one out single to Ben Francisco, and then a two out double to Brennan Boesch gave the Yankees runners on second and third with the tying run at the plate. Still no move from the bullpen. Miley replied by walking Eduardo Nunez to load the bases. Still no move. Miley then walked Jayson Nix, bringing in a run, and giving the Yankees the go-ahead runner for free.

Finally, the bullpen came in. Tony Sipp was called upon to face lefty Brett Gardner, and... Swiftly gave up a two RBI single. Not what we were looking for, Tony. He was replaced by Brad Ziegler, who ended the whole song and dance with a ground out from Vernon Wells, but the game was tied.

The Diamondbacks offense wasn't really interested in ending its nap, so it went down 1-2-3 in the top of the eighth. David Hernandez took the mound for the DBacks in the bottom of the inning. Hernandez racked up two quick outs of Robinson Cano and Kevin Youkilis, but Travis Hafner came in to pinch hit with two outs, and the man who hit .228 last season homered to deep right, letting the Yankees a 4-3 lead as we entered the ninth inning.

After that, Mariano Rivera took to the mound, and I think we know how that works out most of the time. The Diamondbacks bats at least made contact, but no one could manage a hit, and the Yankees won, giving Sabathia a win and Rivera the save.

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A promising start from Miley left in shambles by an offense that fell asleep and a bullpen that was too slow to get moving and didn't do much when it finally did. The loss means tomorrow we make an effort to salvage one win out of the series before fleeing Gotham for points further west. Tune in tomorrow to see how if our valiant heroes can find their way to victory behind Patrick Corbin- same Bat Time, same Bat Channel.