Arizona Diamondbacks Game Preview, #6: Seconds out!

Kyle Hendricks RHP, 0-0, N/A

Zack Greinke RHP, 0-1, 15.75)

Dexter Fowler - CF	Jean Segura - 2B
Jason Heyward - RF	Chris Owings - CF
Ben Zobrist - 2B	Paul Goldschmidt - 1B
Anthony Rizzo - 1B	David Peralta - RF
Kris Bryant - 3B	Welington Castillo - C
Miguel Montero - C	Yasmany Tomas - LF
Jorge Soler - LF	Brandon Drury - 3B
Addison Russell - SS	Zack Greinke - RHP
Kyle Hendricks - RHP	Nick Ahmed - SS

The vagaries of the early schedule should help give the Diamondbacks a pitching advantage this afternoon, as our Opening Day starter goes up against the man at the back of the Cubs rotation. However, there's certainly a lot of room for improvement in Greinke's performance, and if he pitches like he did on Monday - against an arguably weaker opponent in the Colorado Rockies - it's not going to matter much who the Cubs have on the mound. There is some hope for that bounceback, since Greinke has put up a 0.34 ERA over his last 4 starts following a loss, allowing just one earned run in those 26.2 innings of work.

Meanwhile, Segura will try to write his name into the record books further, having already been the first player in Diamondbacks' history to record five consecutive multi-hit games to start off a season. If he gets two more tonight, he'll be entering truly elite company, becoming the second NL batter since Hank Aaron in 1959 to record multiple hits in each of the first 6 team games of a season - the last was Barry Larkin for the Cincinnati Reds. So far, there's no doubt that Jean seems to be enjoying the change of scenery, and his upbeat attitude has been a joy to watch in the dugout. I hope it continues even if - and I'm sticking my neck out here - he is no longer getting two hits a night.

Interesting to see the team sit Jake Lamb this afternoon, even with a right-handed starting pitcher on the mound, Drury getting the first start of the season at his more usual position, after his outfield adventure against the Rockies. Otherwise, it's more or less as you were, with what is gradually shaping up to be Chip Hale's standard line-up in most regards, though Tomas has usually batted seventh rather than sixth. Maybe his promotion is a reward for being clutch with two outs in the ninth last night? I wouldn't mind a blow-out win here, but all I really want to see is a good outing from Greinke to settle fan nerves. Is that too much to ask, for a million bucks?