Snake Bytes: 06/27 - Another start?

Diamondbacks News

[AZSnakePit.com] Fanpost: Diamondbacks 11, Tigers 7: When It Rains

TXdback saw the Snakes beating the Tigers with Keuchel being hit and backed up by a rain of hits and runs. The D-Backs losing streak would therefore end at 5.

“Keuchel was OK. Compared to previous 5th starters “OK” is an upgrade. He had 13 swings and misses. That’s encouraging.” - Comment from Smurf1000 in the recap.

[Arizona Sports] D-backs LHP Dallas Keuchel limits damage during inefficient team debut

Keuchel started off with an efficient 12-pitch 1-2-3 first inning capped by fielding a 1-3 putout against Tigers designated hitter Miguel Cabrera.

He struggled getting ahead of hitters from there, which led to long at-bats and a quickly rising pitch count.

[AZ Central] Diamondbacks put up 11 runs, end five-game losing streak in win over Tigers

“The last few days we were looking for some big hits in some big times. I think every inning we got off to a good start,” Kelly said. “We worked some counts, got some knocks. Hitting is contagious... it was good to see from the boys (Sunday.)”

Kelly hit his first home run of the season, at long last, to make it a 2-1 game in the bottom of the third. It was his first home run since Sept. 25, 2021, with 116 plate appearances between homers.

[Arizona Sports] D-backs avoid sweep with rollercoaster win vs. Tigers in Keuchel’s debut

The lefty stated that he was very nervous and that his heart rate skyrocketed before taking the mound.

“That’s a really good squad over there and they play a lot better than their record shows, that was a great team win on a getaway day,” Keuchel said postgame.

“We didn’t get 13 swings and misses by being lucky.” - Dallas Keuchel post-game

“The last 15-20 starts have been a whirlwind, kind of a rollercoaster ride for me. It’s just one main key and that is keeping myself in a stable position to create late movement to the plate and a linear line to the catcher … We didn’t get 13 swings and misses by being lucky.”

[dbacks.com] D-backs get back on track with offensive outburst

“We have a few guys that are grinding and Pavin is one of them,” Lovullo explained. “I just don’t want him to be one dimensional to the pull side. When he hits like this and uses the entire field, he has days like this. He’s a good hitter, he’s got unbelievable bat-to-ball skills, he knows balls from strikes. The hitting coaches have been telling me it’s coming and he just needs an opportunity. My plan was to get him off his feet, let him regroup the troops a little bit and come out and see what he could do.”

“We’re going to talk about it.” - Torey Lovullo post-game after being asked if Keuchel would get another start

[dbacks.com] D-Backs injuries and roster moves

The D-Backs optioned Sean Poppen to AAA to make room for Keuchel on Sunday. To create space on the 40-man roster, 2018 4th round pick Ryan Weiss was designated for assignment.

[AZ Central] For Diamondbacks Lovullo, managing against Tigers brings back special memories

The Detroit Tigers hold “a very special place in my heart,” Lovullo says now, all these years later. After all, they were the organization that drafted him, developed him and, in 1988, gave him his major league debut. Lovullo calls Sparky Anderson, the legendary Tigers manager at the time, his “baseball father.”

“It’s hard for me to play against them and not reflect and go back and rewind a little bit” - Torey Lovullo on playing against the Detroit Tigers

Around The MLB

[CBS Sports] Punches thrown, eight ejections made as Jesse Winker plunking leads to heated fight

It all started when Mike Trout hinted on Saturday night that an inside pitch that went to his head could have been thrown intentionally. The following day the Angels’ starter Andrew Wantz was wild in the first two innings and after hitting Jesse Winker in that second inning, things quickly spiralled out of control with one of the highlights being Raisel Iglesias dumping sunflower seeds on the field.

[CBS Sports] MLB Weekend recap

Freddie Freeman got an ovation in Atlanta while the Astros and Yankees gave a preview of what we can expect from this year’s ALCS.

[MLB Trade Rumors] Twins Pitching Coach Wes Johnson Hired As LSU Pitching Coach

Pitching has been a major contribution to the Twins’ success this season, but in a remarkable move Minnesota sees its pitching coach returning to college baseball after he is reportedly offered a $750k contract in Louisiana, more than double of what Johnson is reportedly getting from the major league organisation.

[WBSC] Bligh Madris is first Palauan player in MLB history

Bligh Madris made history on Monday becoming the first player from Palau to play a Major League Baseball (MLB) game. Madris got the start in right field for the Pittsburgh Pirates and excelled in his debut, going 3-for-4 with 2 RBI, helping his team score a 12-1 win over the Chicago Cubs.