Snake Bytes 9/23: Absentee Ballot

I didn’t see one second of last night’s ballgame, and I am perfectly content with that. A few months back I bought a ticket to see Parkway Drive at The Rialto in Tucson thinking I could very well miss the Diamondbacks clinch a postseason berth. Fast forward to the present day and... well... yeah.

It was my first time being back to The Rialto in roughly 8 years, and it’s remarkable how much Downtown Tucson has changed since then. I hardly recognized it, and the city has fully embraced the “downtown revival” fad that has swept across plenty of other cities this past decade. Sure, the rest of the city is still kind of meh, but the nightlife there is better than Downtown Phoenix in my opinion. Great job by the city planners. Much needed time away from the Diamondbacks.

Arizona Diamondbacks 1, Colorado Rockies 5

[D’backs.com] D-backs pushed to brink after loss to Rox - If this was indeed Patrick Corbin’s final start at Chase Field in a D-backs uniform, it most certainly was not one he’s going to want to remember. The left-hander struggled with his command and lasted just three innings as the D-backs fell to the Rockies, 5-1, on Saturday night and slid closer to postseason elimination.

[Arizona Sports] Patrick Corbin’s 44-pitch third inning costs D-backs in loss to Rockies - In what could be his final home game at Chase Field as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Patrick Corbin took to the mound in one of his shortest career outings on Saturday, resulting in a 5-1 loss to the Colorado Rockies. Corbin didn’t look sharp from the get-go. After giving up a single to the second batter of the game D.J. LeMahieu, Corbin walked Nolan Arenado and Matt Holliday to load the bases before getting Ian Desmond to hit into a double play to end the inning.

[AZ Central] Diamondbacks lefty Patrick Corbin struggles in possible Chase Field farewell - If Patrick Corbin were at all sentimental about his start on Saturday night – an outing that might go down as his last in a Diamondbacks uniform at Chase Field – he wasn’t willing to talk about it after a 5-1 loss to the Colorado Rockies. “I think at the end of the season I’ll look back at everything that’s happened here in my career here,” Corbin said after giving up four runs in just three innings. “I’m just focused on one more start and we’ll see what happens after that.”

Diamondbacks News

[D’backs.com] Approach-minded Walker finding power stroke - Late in the game, two outs, your teammates in scoring position and an opposing pitcher coming in from the bullpen whose only job is to get you out. As a pinch-hitter, it might be easy to feel like the whole game is riding on your at-bat. For a pinch-hitter like the D-backs’ Christian Walker, a simple phrase sets the mental parameters for his approach off the bench. “Less is more. You can let all the angles sink in, affect you and feel like the situation you’re in is so important,” said Walker. “Not that it isn’t, it’s just that in order to be successful in that situation, I know I’ll be in a better place if I play it simple, downplay it and basically just limit my objective to helping the team. It might mean having a long at-bat, just putting a ball in play or moving a runner. It’s just about helping the team, period.”

[Arizona Sports] Saturday may have been Corbin’s last Chase Field start as a Diamondback - Corbin established himself as a quality left-handed pitcher this season, forming a one-two All-Star punch with Zack Greinke. But with that success came one downfall: Corbin may demand a higher price in free agency this offseason than the Diamondbacks are able or willing to pay. Left-handed pitchers are at a premium, and the 29-year-old is at the top of the list of southpaw free agents with former Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel and J.A. Happ. “He’s put himself in a great position because he’s performed, he’s been doing it for the two years that I’ve known him,” Lovullo said. As he developed a dominant slider, Corbin became one of the outstanding pitchers this season. Entering Saturday, his 6.2 WAR was third-best of all qualified pitchers in the MLB, highest among lefties, and his 3.09 ERA was the third-best of all qualified lefties.

[AZ Central] Diamondbacks, Phoenix discussed ‘opportunity’ for ballpark partnership - This is not the first time Hall has expressed interest in working with Phoenix. In 2016, he said the franchise wanted the city of Phoenix to replace Maricopa County as Chase Field’s landlord. The discussions in 2016 didn’t go anywhere, and it looks like the recent discussions are destined for the same fate. The Phoenix City Council met in a closed-door, executive session meeting Aug. 29 to discuss a “Chase Field update,” but no other formal discussions have occurred. Watters said the Diamondbacks had asked the city to prepare a “proposal” related to the “opportunity,” but the city manager declined. She said the city manager and city staff “do not have any conversations scheduled with the Diamondbacks about Chase Field at this time.”

[CBS Sports] A team-wide collapse has caused the Diamondbacks to fall from first place to out of the playoff race - When the Arizona Diamondbacks entered September in first place in the National League West, they seemed certain of reaching the postseason in some capacity, be it as the division champs or as a wild card for the second consecutive October. Some 22 days into September, with a week remaining in the regular season, the D-Backs have nonexistent playoff odds. A loss (or wins by other teams) on Sunday will cinch their mathematical elimination from postseason contention. The Diamondbacks have gone 5-15 in September, all the while being outscored by nearly two runs per game. What exactly has fueled the D-Backs’ cratering? A team-wide meltdown.

Around the League

[Sporting News] Indians become first MLB team to have 4 pitchers reach 200 strikeouts in a season - The Indians created a piece of history Saturday in a 5-4 victory over the Red Sox as Cleveland became the first team in MLB history to have four starting pitchers record 200 or more strikeouts in one season. Cleveland reached that feat after Mike Clevinger had his fourth strikeout of the game against Boston. He joined fellow starters Carlos Carrasco (217), Trevor Bauer (215) and Corey Kluber (205). Clevinger finished the night with six strikeouts overall.

[Bleacher Report] Yankees Become 6th Team in MLB History to Hit 250 Home Runs in Season - The New York Yankees made history on Saturday by becoming the sixth team in Major League Baseball history to club 250 home runs in a single season, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. New York center fielder Aaron Hicks provided the historic swing when he sent the 0-2 offering from Baltimore Orioles right-hander David Hess in the bottom of the second into the seats in right.