D-backs Game Preview, #2: 4/8 vs. Padres

Line-ups

And, of course, last night’s hero, Seth Beer, is not in the starting line-up, even though the D-backs announced this promotion for tonight’s game:

In celebration of a storybook, epic Opening Day win yesterday on D-backs’ designated hitter Seth Beer’s walk-off home run against the San Diego Padres on National Beer Day, the Arizona Diamondbacks, together with Coors Light, will be giving away a Coors Light to the first 10,000 21+ year-old fans at Chase Field tonight. “Last night’s Opening Day win could not have been scripted any more perfectly,” said D-backs President & CEO Derrick Hall. “I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than with fans and our corporate partner, Coors Light. We invite our fans to come out, enjoy a cold beer and celebrate with all of us tonight at Chase Field.”

Representatives will hand out beers when the gates open to 21+ year old fans at the following locations: Coors Light Strike Zone (main concourse beyond right field), Bridge entrance (suite level) and Rotunda entrance (upper concourse).

This is where I get my snark on and say, giving Coors Light away is the only method by which any right-thinking person would be convinced to consume it. You could just cut out the middleman and pour it directly down the toilet. But, hey: it’s free beer. Enjoy it, if you’re at the park tonight. Replacing Beer at DH is another one of this year’s crop of rookies, Cooper Hummel, so let’s see if he can fill Beer’s sizable shoes in team lore, thanks to last night’s late heroics. Hummel is also batting lead-off, not something you tend to see designated hitters do very often. It’ll be the 10th time for us: the last was Kole Calhoun on August 25th, 2020 - by coincidence, also against the Padres.

Having ended their Opening Day losing streak last night, the D-backs will attempt to go 2-0 to start the season. That has happened just twice in the past 20 years: they started off the 2012 and 2018 campaigns with a pair of victories. Indeed the D-backs entered today in sole possession of first place in the NL West for the first time in 1,313 days - the last time being August 31st, 2018. Of course, it’s with a 1-0 record, but we will take the small victories where we can. Except, last night feels like it has the potential to be more than a small victory. Of course, it still counts as one in the standings. But Arizona were 2-93 last season when trailing after eight innings... We’re half way to matching that after Opening Day.