:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/11862487/20130220_jla_ar5_227.0.jpg)
|
|
D-backs line-up:
- A.J. Pollock, CF
- Martin Prado, 3B
- Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
- Cody Ross, RF
- Alfredo Marte, LF
- Wil Nieves, C
- Josh Wilson, 2B
- Cliff Pennington, SS
- Trevor Cahill, P
Last night, the Diamondbacks came within one out of being shut out for only the second time at Coors Field - and it took an error to avoid that. Looking at this line-up, can't say I'm overly optimistic it'll do much better, especially if you look at the lower half of the order, with slots #5-8 hitting a collective .220 in 100 at-bats so far. Fun fact: Pollock has appeared in 14 games this season without drawing a walk. The only NL player with more games and no walks, is the Phillies' catcher, Eric Kratz. Not sure you want someone leading off with a lower OBP than their batting average. #InGibbyWeTrust
Cahill faced Colorado four times last year, three of those being at Coors, and the results were all over the place. He allowed one run over 7.1 innings there in April, got a no-decision the following month, allowing four runs in five innings, and took a late-season loss in September, despite a quality start of two earned runs in six frames. Current Rockies have a line of .241/.305/.414, and Dexter Fowler is the man to watch, as he's 4-for-5 with a pair of triples. We'll be hoping Trevor can build on his last start, where he blanked the Dodgers into the eighth, but got a no-decision, and pick up his first victory of 2013.
Conversely, Cody Ross is the Diamondback who has owned de la Rosa: over 27 plate-appearances, The Dark Lord has a line of .318/.444/.636. The absences of Miguel Montero and Gerardo Parra are perhaps explained by a combined 4-for-19 against the Colorado starter, with one extra-base hit and an OPS below .550. The overall line for us is .246/.333/.426, but we didn't see de la Rosa at all in 2012. His last start, in May 2011, ended in a complete tear of his UCL which required Tommy John surgery. You might have forgotten he was in the Diamondbacks organization for a bit: he arrived from Boston as part of the Curt Schilling trade, and went to Milwaukee in the Richie Sexson deal.
Lot of other interesting stuff going on around the game today. First game back in Boston for the Red Sox, with Neil Diamond singing Sweet Caroline, and David Ortiz dropping an F-bomb in his pre-game speech to the crowd. Must admit, first thing I thought of was Team America World Police. Still, Boston scored three in the eighth. Or maybe Kansas City let them, per 'charmer's suggestion. Maybe the Rockies will get confused and roll over for us today, because.... Well, it's 4/20, and the entire state is likely more concerned about finding a back of Funions than winning a baseball game. Hey, take 'em where you can find 'em...