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Record: 12-15-1. Change on 2017: -3.5.
It’s a good thing we’re not relying on the D-backs offense for free tacos of late. The hitters have been rather chilly of late, and so was the case again tonight. The sole bit of productive offense came from a home-run in the sixth inning by Camden Duzenack. Yes, a player with no professional experience above short-season A ball proved more productive than all our major-leaguers put together. Such has been the way of late: the D-backs have scored more than four runs only once in the past nine games, and just a total of 12 over the six-game losing streak. They had precisely one at-bat tonight with a runner in scoring position, and singles by Daniel Descalso and Alex Avila were their only other hits.
Patrick Corbin did almost equal the entire tally for his previous Cactus outings, pitching into the sixth. He was lifted after leading off by allowing Yonder Alonso’s seventh homer of spring. There were two other runs allowed by Corbin, but one was unearned due to a Kris Negron error. He scattered six hits and three walks, with three strikeouts. The three relievers that followed also had mixed luck: T.J. McFarland was charged with two runs, but they scored on a passed ball and a runner scoring from second. After falling on his ass with his first pitch, Yoshihisa Hirano struck out the side in the seventh; Fernando Salas allowed his first spring run in the eighth, but that runner reached on a dropped third strike.
After an early mound issue, @Dbacks closer candidate Yoshi Hirano had his best outing in the spring Friday night, striking out all three Indians he faced in a 6-1 loss. MGR Torey Lovullo was impressed. #DbacksSpring pic.twitter.com/5DPWw3qTNJ
— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) March 24, 2018
Above, via @FoxSportsAZ, Torey Lovullo talks about Hirano. Tomorrow, it’s back to day games, with an afternoon contest against the Royals. According to MLB.com, the starting pitcher for Arizona is Kris Medlen... which puts him on schedule to be our Opening Day starter. You heard it here first, folks... Er, or maybe not. Because it’s a split-squad day, with the other half of the team, including starter Zack Godley, going to Tempe Diablo to face the Angels again (we lost 6-5 there to them on Tuesday). Godley as Opening Day starter? Could be...