Diamondbacks 2, Padres 7: Tattooed by Tatis

Record: 0-3. Five-inning record: 0-3

Three games into spring, the Diamondbacks are winless, and have been outscored by the opposition to the tune of 19-5. Of course, it’s only spring training and is as meaningless as the most meaningless of meaningless things. But when you’ve been staring out the window and waiting for spring for the past five months, you want something more than... [gestures vaguely in the direction of the underwhelming results of the past three days]. However, this was the first time it was an Arizona starter who got lit up.

Caleb Smith was the victim this afternoon, and was a bit wobbly for the start, giving up a walk and a single to the first two batters, before a double steal got the Padres on the board. The D-backs did come back to level the score, a Ketel Marte single tying us up at one, though he was thrown out trying to reach second. The equality proved very short lived, San Diego responding with a five-run second inning, which was the very definition of “escalated quickly”. Smith didn’t even get the opportunity to spike a couple of offerings and pitch-count his way off the mound.

• Pitch #2: Single
• Pitch #4: RBI double
• Pitch #6: groundout
• Pitch #11: walk
• Pitch #12: Batter reaches on fielder’s choice
• Pitch #13: #ThisHappened

Yep. A grand slam, putting Arizona 6-1 behind. On that basis, I guess the bullpen deserves a “well done” for allowing just one more run over the remaining six innings - today’s game going... [pause to roll 2d4+1] eight innings. Alex Young threw two scoreless innings of one hit ball, with one strikeout, and there were also zeroes put up by Kevin Ginkel, Miguel Aguilar and Sam Moll, before Bradley Roney allowed the seventh and final run in the top of the eighth. There wasn’t much offense to speak of. Wyatt Mathises had our first multi-hit game, going 2-for-2, driving in the D-backs’ other run, with an RBI single in the fourth. Ketel Marte had a single and a walk.

Rather more importantly, we got the results back of Kole Calhoun’s MRI, and he will be having surgery tomorrow. According to Steve Gilbert, Kole has a meniscus tear in his right knee, and will have a meniscectomy, which is the removal of all or part of the meniscus. According to some light Googling, recovery generally takes 4-6 weeks, but whether that applies to professional athletes. Zack Buchanan said it was a “partial” meniscectomy, which may explain why the surgeon he spoke to said 3-4 weeks. If that is the case, then it is possible Calhoun might not end up missing too many regular season contests, depending on how long it takes him to get game-ready.

Anyway, tomorrow is another day, with the D-backs playing away from Salt River Fields for the first time. They’ll be over near SnakePit Towers in Goodyear, to face the Indians, with Luke Weaver making his first start. The game begins at 1:05 pm, and I believe there’s no TV or radio, so there won’t be a GDT for that. I can’t say I mind too much...