Diamondbacks 0, Padres 3: The Beereckoning

I have returned!

Though the offseason was long and full of terrors the beer still flows and baseball still endures.

After attending last night’s Opening Day game I’m hoping for something a bit more engaging early on, and perhaps just as exciting in the later innings.

We shall see though.....

Tonight’s stream of consciousness is brought to you by two separate outings with two separate couple friends at two separate venues here in town. Enjoy

• Inning 1:

Merrill Kelly ascends the mound today for our DIVISION LEADING (for now) Dbacks. He starts his night with 2 quick K’s, followed by a Cronenworth single and walk to Voit, but a Hosmer K closes out the 1st. Some signs of dominance/cool control, and maybe Kelly’s “the guy” to keep an eye on this year among the starters, but we’ve got a LONG ways to go.

Hummel takes over from Beer at the DH tonight and leads things off. No fireworks from him or anyone in the bottom of the 1st, but the night is very young indeed. 0-0 going in to the 2nd.

• Inning 2:

Kelly allows another single in the 2nd, but overall cruises once more through the Padres. Still looking solid and making me kinda wish he got the Opening Day start over Mad Bum. That’s a conversation for another day though.

The bottom of the 2nd is much like the bottom of the 2nd last night: boring an uneventful. I guess that’s kinda unfair since Varsho drew a walk, but when nothing comes of it...

I get that everyone had to deal with an abbreviated Spring Training, but going in to two games now it feels like out bats are meh at best.

0-0 going in to the 3rd.

• Inning 3:

The 3rd starts out with 2 more K’s for Kelly, who once again is looking pretty solid, but at 47 pitches in the 3rd may not be here too long. Still, I like what I see as he’s throwing against a pretty solid team in the Padres (without Tatis). Is this what hope feels like?

Kelly finishes up things giving up a third hit (this time to Manny), but 2 pitches to Cronenworth leads to a can-o-corn to Varsho and we’re off to the bottom of the frame.

Nada. Nada from the bats in the 3rd. Bleh. 0-0 going in to the 4th.

• Inning 4:

The 4th starts out with K #6 for Merrill, followed by a Hosmer single and a walk to Profar to make things interesting. That walk to Profar was pitch 69 of the night, and from the mound visit you get the feeling like all starter (not just MadBum) are on short leashes from the new Pitching Coach Brent Strom.

I voiced my opinion to the Brutes on Opening Day, but I think Strom will act as Torey’s axe man this year for Torey. Specifically he’ll be their to set a whole new tone for the pitching staff that Torey’s been unable to establish in his first few years as manager.

Luckily Kelly had just enough left in the tank to get one more K and then end the inning on an Abrams ground out. I’ll take it.

Looks like I’ll not be writing much on our bats tonight. 1-2-3 go the Dbacks in the bottom of the 4th and we’re off to the 5th still scoreless.

• Inning 5:

After a brief stint at Mastro’s for butter caked and cocktails I’ve returned to complete the recap of this game.

Wendelken takes over for Kelly here in the 5th. Not great to see our first two starters in the first two games go less than 5 innings, but at least Kelly looked far more dialed in. I guess we just need to hope that an abbreviated Spring Training has got things starting off slow for our pitching.

Nothing much more to report on the Padres side of the frame besides a great snag by Ellis, so we’re off to the bottom of the 5th still tied at zero.

Whelp....still nada for the Dbats. My cap is off for Manaea; he’s been cruising through our lineup effortlessly. I wanna be mad, but he’s just been great. 0-0 going in to the 6th

• Inning 6:

Wendelken sticks around for a lone K in the 6th to be replaced by Oliver Perez in the hopes of generating a favorable outcome against Hosmer and Profar. This is regrettably not a thing that occurred.

Hosmer smacks the first pitch he sees in to right to reach 1st and then Profar takes the first pitch he sees to deposit a homer in to the left field bleachers. 0-2 Padres.

Still. Nothing. Doing.

That’s right folds, our bats still can’t figure out Manaea. That’s it. That’s the bottom half recap.

• Inning 7:

Poppen comes in the 7th for Perez to hopefully stem the bleeding a bit, though a leadoff double to Jorge Alfaro doesn’t exactly give me any warm fuzzies.

Grisham moves Alfaro along to 3rd with a sac bunt, but blessedly Manny strikes out and after an intentional walk to Cronenworth, Voit then pops out out to end the threat.

Yup, you guessed it. We’re still being no-hit through 7. Nothing else to type besides that.

• Inning 8:

Kinda sorta controversy to lead off the 8th as Hosmer is called out after apparently not touching 1st as he’s rounding his way to 2nd for a double. Replay though makes it pretty clear he baaaaaaarrrrrelyyyyyy did, so Castellanos chance to keep the game close just got a lot harder.

Ellis compounds that frustrating moment as he tries to bare hand a Profar bunt, but proceeds to wildly overthrow the out at first, leading to Hosmer to score. Thankfully Profar greed in trying to take third on that same play helped keep things from getting much worse. 0-3 Padres

Well, we’re no longer hitless as Peralta leads things off with a single off of Tim Hill in replacement for the wondrous Manaea. After a Varsho popup Perdomo gives us all hope with a single of his own to put men on the corners.

Despite that Pavin Smith and last night’s hero Beer can do no more.

0-3 going in to the 9th

• Inning 9:

Sorry all, not much else to write: we kept it withing 3runs in the top of the 9th and did nada in the bottom of the 9th.

Hoped for more miracles in a second night in a row, but that was one hope too far.

The season is young though, and we got another two game left in this home stand.

Go Dbacks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!