AZ SnakePit 2018 Awards: Single-game performance nominees

4/17: Patrick Corbin one-hits the Giants

Corbin’s first three starts of the year had been very solid, with a 2.45 ERA and K:BB of 29:4 in 18.1 innings. But they paled beside the majesty of this game against the Giants at Chase. He needed to be at his very best, as Johnny Cueto allowed two singles and no walks through seven scoreless innings, but Patrick was even better. Through 7²⁄₃ innings, he had allowed only a walk, before Brandon Belt’s infield checked swing ended the no-hitter. That was all Corbin gave up, completing the shutout in exactly 100 pitches, with eight strikeouts. David Peralta singled home Jarrod Dyson in the eighth inning - the only at-bat for either team with a runner in scoring position, and the D-backs won 1-0, in fiveminutes over two hours.

4/30: A.J. Pollock destroys the Dodgers

Pollock became the twelfth player in franchise history to hit three home-runs in a game, with this performance, which gets bonus points because of the opposition! All three were solo shots, evenly spaced out, coming in the second, fifth and eighth innings, and provided the margin of Arizona victory in the 8-5 score. His third was an especially majestic blast, deep onto the walkway behind left-center at Chase. It was projected by Statcast as a 455-foot effort, with an exit velocity of 104.6 mph. The career night for our All-star outfielder put an exclamation point on Pollock’s performance for April, and helped clinch A.J. National League Player of the Month honors.

6/9: Paul Goldschmidt beats the Rockies

#CoorsGonnaCoors. This was a real see-saw contest, in which the Rockies blew leads of 2-1, 4-2 and 7-5. Meanwhile the D-backs lost 1-0 and 5-4 advantages, before finally holding on, courtesy of a six-run eighth. Goldy was at the heart of the win, getting on base five times, driving in four runs and scoring three, on his way to becoming NL Player of the Week. He had two home-runs for the second consecutive night, and also singled, walked and was hit by a pitch. The first home-run was particularly majestic, soaring 450 feet into the Colorado night, with an exit velocity of almost 107 mph. But the second had the bigger impact on the game, a three-run shot which turned a two-run deficit into a Diamondbacks lead.

7/8: T.J. McFarland holds down the fort

T.J. McFarland was the last man out of the D-backs bullpen. They had thrown 4.2 innings last night in Phoenix, and after Zack Greinke was forced from the game with one out in the fifth inning, at least the same again was needed. But that was just the start, as the game went into extras, tied at two. After the 10th, there was no-one else left, and T.J, who had worked the ninth the previous day, pitched on. He eventually tied a franchise record for scoreless frames in extras (last done by Trevor Cahill in 2013), throwing 53 pitches and holding the Padres to two hits. Unfortunately, the offense couldn’t help, and Arizona eventually lost in 16, to a walk-off homer off Jeff Mathis. But T.J’s efforts were legendary.

8/16: Clay Buchholz completes his comeback

I can’t really complain about Johnny Venters winning NL Comeback Player of the Year, after three Tommy John surgeries and 5¹⁄₂ years between MLB appearances. But Buchholz is at least an honorable mention. He managed only 7.1 innings, with an ERA in double digits, before injury ended his season. At 33, few would have bet on him. But he came back, picked up by Arizona as an emergency replacement, and it all came together on a glorious night in San Diego. There have been more dominant complete games - it was the lowest Game Score 9-inning outing for Arizona since Bronson Arroyo in 2014. But it was no less remarkable for it, and certainly the most unexpected feat of the year for the D-backs.