SnakeBytes, 4/7: D-backs' Bats Go Broom

Quotient Quotables

Just the first week has been fun to see what we’ve been talking about in the spring unfold. It’s been good so far. Moving guys over, getting big two-out knocks. It’s the way that we thought that we were going to look like, and we’ve just got to keep it rolling. Obviously, it’s nice to start off good. But we’ve got to stay healthy and as consistent as possible throughout the year.

-- Aaron Hill on the dynamics of the offense

It’s the selflessness that he shows. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen anybody have such an influence. We’ve all done it in our career, it’s just really strong, a strong message. In the end, do you want to do it all the time? No. But if we get down the road and we’re in the middle of August and you’ve got a guy on second base with nobody out, your three and four hitters up behind you, it’s just the right play.

-- Kirk Gibson describes Martin Prado's approach at the plate

Having eight days off coming in and plus my first game, so I was a little excited. I was leaving some balls up early and then came in (the dugout) in the third, and we talked about some things. Keeping the ball down was a big thing, (pitching coach Charles Nagy) was saying. It’s kind of what I did those innings and got a lot of ground balls.

-- Patrick Corbin analyzes his start

Diamondbacks' Rattles

Arizona Diamondbacks pound out 16 hits en route to victory over Milwaukee Brewers | azcentral.com
Though questions were raised about its lack of star power — about not having a hitter that struck fear into the opposing pitcher, like, say, the departed Justin Upton — the lineup has more than held its own. After the Diamondbacks’ 16-hit, nine-run output on Saturday, they are averaging 11.4 hits and 5.8 runs per game through the first five games.

D-Backs use longball to punish Brewers - One is the Loneliest Number
The offense for Arizona on Saturday was also very balanced with every starter having at least one base hit in the game. Arizona also showed another way in which it can win baseball games as well, by using the long ball to put the Brewers away.

[FanGraphs] Diamondbacks Showcase Trio Of Power Hitting Prospects
If the game of baseball revolved around the power tool, the Diamondbacks would have three of the best prospects in baseball. Of course, hitting ability, speed, defense and arm strength are also factored into the equation. This is where each loses his luster.

The value of selflessness; like father, like son; & other stuff | azcentral.com
Something like what happened in the sixth inning on Friday has already happened a couple of other times this season: Runner on second, nobody out, ground ball to the right side by Martin Prado. It was an out, but it was a productive out, the kind that doesn’t help the batting average but helps the team.

D-backs catchers changing up signs in Milwaukee | dbacks.com
The D-backs don't want to come right out and say the Brewers are stealing signs at Miller Park, but they are taking some extra precautions just in case.

Today in Baseball

Best friends, confidants, alter egos ... Max and Alex were all that. And much more. - ESPN
When Max Scherzer lost his brother last summer, he did the one thing that could help the family through the grief. He kept pitching.

Raymond is out of control
After the Steve Irwin incident, you'd think Raymond would want to lay low but he has other plans: starting with an Aquafina bottle.

Honus Wagner’s rare T206 card sells for record $2.1 million at auction | Big League Stew - Yahoo! Sports
That's a new record price tag for a card at a public sale, besting the $1.6 million for the same card back in 2008. The same year, Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick bought the Wagner card for $2.8 million from hockey legend Wayne Gretzky at a private sale.

And the last link is this amazing catch.

Fan Catch of the Year
Jayson Werth gets all of Sam LeClure's pitch, blasting a deep home run to right-center as a fan holding his child makes a great grab.