Snake Bytes, 5/5: Pours Field...

Recaps

Oops, never mind. For last night's game was rained out, though it took them a while to get there, the cancellation only announced after a two and a half hour wait. That contest will be made up later in the season: the forecast for tonight isn't apparently much better, but they're going to try and get it in: if not, then they will aim for a double-header on Wednesday, presumably leading to a later than intended exit for the team back to Phoenix for the series against the Padres that starts the following day. Wednesday's scheduled contest is a day game, which may be why they didn't want to play two today, as it'd mean completing three games in about 27 hours.

Team news

[AZ Central] Command the 'X factor' for Ray - There are few questions about the caliber of left-hander Robbie Ray's stuff. His fastball is hard, his breaking ball sharp, his change-up at least average, sometimes better. There is only one question that anyone seems to have about how effectively he will pitch and it tends to be the same question for everyone. "Stuff is not the issue," Diamondbacks catcher Tuffy Gosewisch said. "For me, the only 'X' factor is going to be fastball command."

[dbacks.com] Hale delivers message to D-backs' hitters - "I just told them, flat-out, what we expect, how good we think they are and how good we are going to be," Hale said. After Sunday's contest, Hale said he felt like his hitters were pressing at the plate. Hitting coach Turner Ward and his assistant, Mark Grace, encouraged their charges to relax a bit at the plate. Something they both know is easier to say than do, especially when the team as a whole is struggling.

[AZ Central] Diamondbacks want Yasmany Tomas to play it safe at third - Tomas dropped his knee and blocked Howie Kendrick from the third base bag. Hale liked the end result, but he wasn't crazy about the potential for injury created by the play. Hale said both coaches and teammate Paul Goldschmidt have talked to Tomas about handling those sorts of plays differently. "It's just kind of a natural thing that he does," Hale said. "We just want him to stay away from injury. We'll try to get him to just make a tag and get out of there."

[MLB.com] Goldy earns 1st NL Player of Week honor - Goldschmidt led the Majors with 15 hits last week, and he was best in the league with 22 total bases. He was also second in the NL with a .556 (15-for-27) batting average and a .571 on-base percentage. The two-time All-Star had two or more hits in five of six games last week, including four three-hit outings. Goldschmidt's nine hits against the Rockies tied a Arizona club record for most hits in a three-game series.

[dbacks.com] Corbin's rehab start delayed one day by rain - The rain in the Phoenix area Monday washed out injured D-backs left-hander Patrick Corbin's planned extended spring start. He'll pitch [Tuesday], so just one day behind," D-backs manager Chip Hale said. In other injury news, Archie Bradley, who was struck in the face by a batted ball last week, threw a side session and remains on target to return May 15. Injured third baseman Jake Lamb had his walking boot removed from his left foot and is expected to try walking on a treadmill Tuesday.

[FOX Sports] FOX Sports Arizona adds Wednesday D-backs-Rockies game to TV schedule - FOX Sports Arizona will televise Wednesday's Arizona Diamondbacks vs.Colorado Rockies game from Denver. The game originally was not scheduled to be televised. Coverage begins at noon, with first pitch set for 12:10 p.m. Arizona time. Let's just hope the weather proves co-operative by then.

[Elgin Courier-News] Cougars pitcher Brad Keller's progress speeding up - Arizona snagged the 6-foot-5, 230-pounder out of Flowery Branch, Ga., in the eighth round of the 2013 draft despite the fact his fastball was only sitting in the high 80s. Now, Keller's fastball rides in at 93 miles per hour, occasionally hitting 96 "I was kind of a long shot to get drafted," said Keller. "I went into my senior year not really expecting anything. Something clicked and I started to get a couple of looks. It's kind of crazy how it turned out. Nobody knew who I was until two months before the draft. The Diamondbacks showed a lot of faith in me back then and they still do now."

And, finally, a fun fact. Ender Inciarte is the only left-handed position player to start against Madison Bumgarner this year.

And, elsewhere...

[JS Online] Brewers rally to beat Kershaw in Counsell's debut as manager - No matter how many games Craig Counsell goes on to win in his managerial career, he'll never forget victory No. 1 with the Milwaukee Brewers. Struggling mightily against Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, the Brewers finally got to the left-hander late. "That's as good as it gets, for sure," said Counsell, who replaced the fired Ron Roenicke earlier in the day. "They made the first one memorable, no doubt about it."

[Sporting News] Jays coach Jacoby suspended 14 games for shouting match with umps - Wow, what did he say? You can throw at someone's head and not get half as long a suspension. Apparently, "The incident began as Bill Miller's umpire staff walked through the visitors' dugout at Fenway Park to exit the field. That brought them close to Toronto's coaching staff, which loudly voiced its displeasire with the crew's work. MLB altered its postgame policy at Fenway in the wake of the incident; visiting teams now must wait until the umpires leave the field before they can go."

[ESPN] Is there anything wrong with Kershaw? - Is the correct answer, "I hope so"? Or does thinking that - even if it's in perfect health - make me worse than Gadaffi? But Clayton Kershaw is giving up home runs at faster rate than in previous years; should the Dodgers be concerned? Sadly, the article concludes, "I suspect he'll figure it out and get that pinpoint command back and go on a big roll soon enough." Dammit!

[SI.com] Even mascots are not immune to baseball's emphasis on pace-of-game - Tyler Barnes, the vice president of communications for the Milwaukee Brewers, said the league has been very clear that between-inning entertainment must be completed by the time the countdown clock hits 40 seconds. Barnes wrote in an email that it hasn’t been an issue with Miller Park’s famous Sausage Race, but he also said the team has, “made it very clear to all of those involved in the logistics for the Race that this is not a recommendation, it is a requirement.”