Diamondbacks 1/10, Rockies 2/11: Did we lose in Canada too?

Cactus League Record: 14-13-2 [I'm presuming the Hermosillo game counts!]

Diamondbacks 1, Rockies 2

At Salt River Fields, a pair of solo home-runs allowed by Rubby de la Rosa and Matt Reynolds proved the difference, with the Arizona offense being held to a mere three hits. Daniel Hudson started for the Diamondbacks, and some long at-bats meant he went 3.2 scoreless innings before reaching his pitch-count, leaving the game after 72. He allowed three hits, a pair of walks and struck out four. Rubby de la Rosa worked the fifth and sixth, allowing the home-run and a walk, but striking out three. The short outing isn't necessarily meaningful. Nick Piecoro predicted a short outing, the pitcher perhaps being lined up to start on April 7.

Reynolds, Brad Ziegler and Addison Reed worked the final two innings, with Reynolds taking the loss for his home-run allowed. All told, our pitchers struck out 11, while walking three, and this was a solid outing for them. Unfortunately, all the bats appear to have been sent down with the other half of the team to Mexico. A David Peralta double, plus singles from Aaron Hill and Yasmany Tomas were all the home half of the split-squad could muster, our sole run scoring in the fifth, on a sacrifice fly by Gerald Laird. We went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position, and Cliff Pennington was picked off first-base.

Diamondbacks 10, Rockies 11

Another one-run loss, but this one was rather more entertaining, Arizona coming back from 6-0 to tie the game, then from three down in the ninth to send it into extras, before eventually succumbing after ten innings, with the tying run left in scoring position. The Diamondbacks batted around in a six-run third, six different players having RBI in that inning, and outhit the Rockies 15-14 in total. Jake Lamb had a trio of hits, while Nick Evans went 2-for-2 with three driven in, including a two-run single in the ninth to tie the game. Paul Goldschmidt had a hit and a walk, and Arizona had six doubles, also from six different players.

As you can imagine, this wasn't a crisply-pitched game. Aaron Blair started, and went three innings, being charged with six runs, four earned (the other two coming after his own error), on seven hits and a walk, without a strikeout. Vidal Nuno came in after Blair, and worked the next four innings, giving up two runs on three hits and a walk, with four K's. Evan Marshall threw a scoreless eighth, but Oliver Perez had a shaky ninth, with three hits and two runs allowed. R.J. Hively took the loss, giving up a solo home-run in the top of the 10th inning. A.J. Pollock stole his fourth base of spring.

Tomorrow, with a week until Opening Day, normal service will be resumed. For the Diamondbacks, that means an afternoon game at Salt River Fields against the Dodgers - I wonder if there's be any carry over from the four ejection contest the lat time we faced them? I certainly hope not. Scheduled pitchers are Yoan Lopez, Enrique Burgos and Andrew Chafin.