Snake Pit Sim Season: 4/4

Weather wise, it was another brutal day in Chicago. At game time the temp was at 41 and the rain was still falling. It is unlikely that either of these teams will play in worse conditions at any point this season.

Here are your game highlights.

1st Inning

The game started off with the Diamondbacks going three up and three down despite a one-out walk by Peralta.

*****

Things did not improve much for the Diamondbacks once they took the field. Ian Happ led things off by rapping a double to center field that hit off the bottom of the wall with an exit velocity of 106.9 mph. The next batter was Kris Bryant who fouled off two pitches before getting squarely plunked. Next up was Anthny Rizzo who flew out to center field. Still early, It looked as though Weaver was struggling against the elements and was in for a long day. This impression did not subside quickly, as Javier Baez came to the plate next and lined a single back up the box and into center field, scoring Happ and sending Bryant to third. So far, all the Cubs were getting wicked cuts against Weaver. Next was Kyle Schwarber. He too launched a fly ball to moderately deep center field. Starling Marte got a good bead on the fly and was able to get himself into a good position on the catch which allowed him to gun the ball home when Bryant attempted to tag up and score. The ball beat Bryant by about two feet, allowing Kelly to field it cleanly and complete the inning-ending double play. As things would turn out, that was truly the play of the game.

AZ 0 - CHC 1

2nd Inning

The Diamondbacks managed to play some small ball in the second to push across the tying run. Escobar led off with a single, advanced to second on a wild pitch and then to third on a groundout by Walker to second. Escobar then scored by tagging up on a flyball. Carson Kelly then doubled, but there was no further action in the inning.

*****

The Cubs answered right back with another score of their own. The Cubs also led the inning off with a walk that came around to score, courtesy of a pair of singles and a flyout. Despite this scoring though, Weaver started to look more comfortable on the mound.

AZ 1 - CHC 2

The rest of the game was largely uneventful as both Luke Weaver and Jose Quintana proved to be on their game, despite the weather. A double and a single allowed the Cubs to extend their lead in the fourth. The Diamondbacks responded with the same scoring combination in the top of the fifth. That was the extent of the action in the game.

Weaver was pulled after completing five full innings and throwing exactly 100 pitches. Yoan Lopez and Kevin Ginkel then came on in relief with Lopez pitching a perfect sixth and Ginkel recording three strikeouts on his way to a perfect seventh and eighth.

The Cubs responded by allowing Quintana to go six and a third innings. He was relieved by Brad Wieck who pitched one and two-thirds innings while allowing only one base runner which came via the walk. He was then relieved by Craig Kimbrel who pitched a perfect ninth to pick up his third save on the season.

Combined, the two teams produced 10 hits and eight walks while striking out 18 times. With so little action in the field, the game clocked in under three hours, which I am sure make Rob Manfred happy, though I suspect the players are even happier still simply to be getting out of the crappy weather. Tomorrow is game three of the series against the North-Siders. The Diamondbacks will send Mike Leake to the mound to take on another left-handed Cubs starter, Jon Lester.