Spring record: 4-5. Change on 2016: -1.5
Patrick Corbin did get through the scheduled three innings, but with rather more hard contact than in his first outing. He was charged with a pair of Padres’ runs on three hits, and also walked two batters, but did strike out two as well. He was up at 49 pitches by the end of the third inning, 28 of those strikes. He seemed to be sitting around 92 mph in the first inning, perhaps a tick lower in the third, which is where San Diego scored both runs, largely courtesy of back-to-back triples to lead off the frame.
The Diamondbacks still had the lead at that point, having scored twice in the second and once in the top of third, to jump out ahead, 3-0. A throwing error by the Padres’ catcher in the second inning, brought the first Arizona run across, and a sacrifice fly from Nick Ahmed doubled the advantage. Daniel Descalso had an RBI single in the third, and after the Padres got on the board in their half, the Diamondbacks immediately got one of the runs back. A.J. Pollock doubled with one out in the fourth, coming home on a single by Brandon Drury.
The lead didn’t last, as the Arizona bullpen had their issues, albeit not helped by shaky defense. Tyler Jones got a swinging K to start the fourth, but Chris Iannetta couldn’t keep the wild pitch in front of him, and the batter reached. A rare error by Pollock put runners on the corners with no outs, and after another Jones wild pitch allowed that man to advance, a single brought home both men to tie the game. San Diego then took the lead in the fifth with another crooked number, scoring twice off Zack Godley. Yuhei Nakaushiro tossed a perfect sixth with two K’s, and top prospect Anthony Banda worked two scoreless frames, on a hit and a walk with two strikeouts.
The D-backs made it a one-run game in the top of the eighth, an Ildemaro Vargas double scoring Socrates Brito, but that was as close as Arizona would get. Drury had a good day, getting the first three-hit game of spring for the D-backs, and Pollock also reached three times, on a hit and two walks - although he also got picked off, and each of those men committed an error this afternoon. Descalso got two hits, while Ketel Marte and Chris Herrmann drew two walks apiece. Arizona ended the day with nine free passes, to seven strikeouts.
Tomorrow sees the team back at Salt River Fields for a game against the Chicago White Sox. Taijuan Walker will get the start for the Diamondbacks.