Another brutal loss last night, so let’s see how tonight shapes up......
Beer 1: King of the Thing Dbl IPA by Drekker Brewing Co. 8.3% abv
Why did it have to be this season? Why did it have to be this year? Why does it have to be Taylor Clarke? These are the questions one asks in 2020.
Luckily beer endures, and Drekker (new to AZ) makes big bold flavored beers. This NE style IPA is juicy without being too sweet, and has a pleasant tropical taste at the end of each sip.
Nothing is pleasant about the opening of this game though, as Clarke gives up a leadoff no doubter to Betts. Yay 2020!
Clarke escapes the 1st without further damage, but as usual (for 2020 at least) our pitching appears weak and fragile early in games. Yes, it’s not a normal year, but it’s rough to watch night in and night out.
Keyshawn does (regular season) Kershaw things in the Doyer half of the 1st. Really was surprised Walker didn’t get anything at his AB, and it’s amazing to hear that 25% of his ABs against Kershaw have resulted in HRs. Wild.
The Dodgers tack on another HR against Taylor in the 2nd and the hole our pitching insists digging gets a little deeper. 0-2 Dodgers.
The bottom of the 2nd starts off with a Rojas leadoff bunt and then the rookie Mathisen manages to cross up Muncy with a hit down the line, leaving it up to Varsho to make something happen.
Varsho is then cruelly denied fireworks as Kershaw walks him, thus it falls to me Kelly to do something....
Something happens!!!!! Kelly drives in a run on a ground ball out, I’ll take it. 1-2 Dodgers
Jon Jay’s sack fly drives in another run after that and we’re tied in the 2nd!!
Lancastro!!!!!!!!!!!!! Capt Clutch gets a triple to give us the lead. Where was this offense the last few weeks? 3-2 Dbacks
Beer 2: Whale of Fortune DDH Foggy Triple IPA by Humble Sea Brewing Co 10.6% abv
Really should have read the can before I picked it, but Wednesday is the new Friday....right? Exactly!
The last beer was great, and this one is fantastic. Juicy, tropical, bold, but with a pleasant dry finish that helps you forget just HUGE this beer is. Honestly it’s so well balanced that you’d never know it was 10+%.
While I was waxing romantic about the beer Clarke had himself a scoreless inning. Nice!
No further offensive excitement in the bottom of the third, but Clarke contributes in quite a big way to some Dodger fireworks in the 4th as he quickly allows 2runs and thus our precious lead is no more. Yay 2020 pitching. 3-4 Dodgers going in to the bottom of 4th.
Nothing going on in the bottom of the 4th or top of the 5th, which leads us to the bottom of the 5th and Lacastro being clutch again as he reaches 1st on an infield single (somehow called an error). He is fast as hell.
Ahmed gets us back in with a triple to drive hind Laclutcho!!!! We’re now tied at 4!
Beer 3: Dexterity Check West Coast IPA by Bottle Logic Brewing 7.1% abv
Kershaw’s night is over, just as my night with hazy beers is over as well. This beer is very hop forward and bitter, but balanced enough that I don’t feel overwhelmed and complex enough where its not just bitterness. Good stuff going in to the final innings of the game.
Kinda quite as we go in to the bottom of the 7th, but Lacastro and Ahmed reach one after the other with one out and suddenly things get very interesting.....at least until Walker fails again. Still tied at 4 going in to the 8th ...uggghh
After another scoreless Dodgers frame Escobar leads off the bottom of the 8th with a ground rule double ....which ultimately leads to nothing.
Luckily a Dodger scoreless 9th means we got a chance to walk this off. Let’s go!!!!!!!!!
Or not. yay extra innings
New Covid rules followed by a bad pitch means the Doyers have a runner at third. Oh joy.
Chris Taylor drives in that same runner and at this point I’m pretty sure we’re done. 4-5 Dodgers
Followed by another run. 4-6 Dodgers.
Game over. Good night.
Bells and whistles, by Jim
I can't be bothered to come with witty labels for tonight's heroes and villains. If the D-backs don't put in the effort, why should I? Kevin Ginkel (-35.6%) just out-sucked Christian Walker (‐34.2%). Nick Ahmed (28.3%) out-positived Junior Guerra (20.1%).
There was a Gameday Thread. There were people in it. Those poor, unfortunate souls were: AzDbackfanInDc, ChuckJohnson56, Diamondhacks, GuruB, Jack Sommers, Jim McLennan, Jsch08, Justin27, Makakilo, Michael McDermott, MrMrrbi, NikT77, Oldenschoole, Rockkstarr12, Schilling2001, Smurf1000, Snake_Bitten, gzimmerm and makattack71.
Just the one Sedona Red comment, coming courtesy of Jack Sommers:
The Diamondbacks have now lost eighteen of their last twenty games, something they haven't done since 2004. Think about that. This is the worst streak of Arizona baseball in over SIXTEEN YEARS. And since we are facing the Dodgers again tomorrow... I'm not optimistic. Just be glad for a COVID-19 shortened season. Because I don't think I could handle four more months watching the feeble imitation of major league baseball we have been seeing.