Diamondbacks 9, Indians 4: First win of spring

Record: 1-3. Five-inning record: 1-3

Ah, there it is. I was beginning to think the team would go winless for all of 2021. But that is not to be, the team pounding out eleven hits and four walks in this afternoon’s seven-inning contest in Goodyear. That included Arizona’s second and third home-runs of spring. coming off the bats of Christian Walker and Domingo Leyba. The former came in the first inning, a two-run shot, and the Indians never came closer than that the rest of the way. The D-backs added single tallies in the third and fourth, on a Stuart Fairchild single and a throwing error respectively. The latter was definitely a factor, Cleveland committing four errors that led to a trio of unearned runs.

Arizona had their biggest inning of the preseason in the sixth, scoring three times against former Diamondbacks pitcher, Bryan Shaw - though again, only one of those was earned. That was Leyba’s homer to lead off the frame; the shortstop had already doubled earlier in the game, and Josh VanMeter drove in two runs with a single later in the sixth. RBI singles from Fairchild and Juniel Querecuto completing the scoring for the D-backs in the seventh. Both men had two hits apiece, as did Walker and Leyba. Carson Kelly and VanMeter had a hit and a walk, on the first day things seemed to click at the plate for Arizona’s hitters.

Luke Weaver got the start, and tossed a pair of scoreless innings, on two hits and no walks, though didn’t record a strikeout. Taylor Widener was tagged for a pair of runs in his 1.2 frames, on three hits with a trio of K’s. Top prospect Corbin Martin made his spring debut in the fifth, and was treated a bit roughly, also allowing two earned runs over a pair of innings, on three hits and no walks with one strikeout. Though as always in spring, numbers are usually much less important than how a player looks; I haven’t heard any comments from Torey Lovullo yet to that end. Chris Devenski finished things off with a zero in the eighth.

It’s back to Salt River Fields tomorrow, for a 1:10 pm game against the Angels. That will be the first televised game of spring on FSAZ, and that’s going to be interesting as it will also be Madison Bumgarner’s first outing. Much angst over his velocity is sure to be enjoyed...