D-backs 8, Pirates 6: Slump?

Record: 26-27. Pace: 79-83. Change on 2021: +8.

I’m back! This time I’ll actually have beer!

Got a promotion at work yesterday so I’ve earned this pint and a few more. So join me in my celebration and let’s watch the Dbacks in the land of Pirates.

Cheers!

Inning 1

• Opening up the game and soothing a lingering hangover (good scotch hurts) with Sunshine Bliss by AleSmith. We as Arizonans know that sunshine is both a blessing and a curse so let’s pray it’s a blessing today.

No blessings heaped upon the DBacks in the 1st half of the frame with our bats going down 1-2-3.
Kelly doesn’t exactly thrill me as he allows a leadoff double. Not thrilled one bit.

That lead off double (as anyone could have predicted) comes back to bite MKelly in the ass as a wild pitch brings across the plate the Pirate’s first run. Blessedly that’s all he allows, but no one likes to make up ground this early in the game…0-1 Pirates going in to the 2nd.

Inning 2

• CWalk! We’re tied right back up with one swing of the bat and one out later Pavin gets aboard with a double. An error then allows McCarthy to reach 1st and Pavin to hustle over to 3rd, and Thomas’s DEEP sac fly makes it 2-1 Dbacks.

Kelly’s up again and it’s starting to look like that strike zone is eluding him a little, though I guess that’s kinda deceptive as he’s just over 50% on his strikes. Still, it feels like he’s off a bit as he issues another walk to put two Pirates aboard (Yar) with no outs here in the 2nd.
Despite a great snag by Kelly at a comebacker Jack Suwinski still is able to come in from 3rd to score and we’re tied once more going in to the 3rd: 2-2

Inning 3

• Rojas starts things off with a leadoff single, followed one out later by Walker getting plunked on the shoulder to 1st (intentional?). It amounts to nothing though and we’re off to the bottom of the frame.

Kelly allows another run in the 3rd and once more avoids what could have been a disastrous inning. Feels like both pitchers are one bad toss away from a big crooked number. 2-3 Pirates going in to the 4th.

Inning 4

• Thomas keeps me in the edge of my bar stool with a 1out bomb deep to right field. Tied again folks!

Kelly FINALLY has a drama free inning in the 4th, and we’re off to the 5th tied at 3 apiece.

Inning 5

• Rojas just barley reaches 2nd on a double and Marte makes that effort seem kinda silly with a 2run bomb putting us up once more.

To those wondering, yes, I’ve had two more beers and my hangover is mostly gone (thank God). Now I’m home and I’ve switched gears to an old fashioned. Yummy.
While giving my booze update McCarthy draws a 1out walk to juice up the bases after a series of Dbacks hits/walks; like I said, one of these pitchers was one bad toss away from a crooked number and luckily it wasn’t us.
Banda gets a big K against Thomas to make it 2outs, but a crap pitch brings Peralta in to home quite dramatically ( collision but he’s fine) and we thus tack on one more run this fun inning.
We load the bases again but no dice. Can’t complain about at 6-3 lead though.

Kelly once more throws another bloodless inning. Bravo!!!!

6-3 Dbacks going in to the 6th!

Inning 6

• De Los Santos is the Pirates flavor of the inning this go-round. On that note Walker almost gets another home this night. Seriously folks, he was inches away from a 2run blast. It was not to be though and our lead remains at 6-3 going in to the bottom of the 6th.

Mantiply comes in relief if Kelly here in the 6th and quickly benefits from a double play after allowing a leadoff single, followed by a K. Thus we’re off to the 7th with our lead very much intact. Huzzah!

Inning 7

• Our 4th homer of the night is courtesy of Jake McCarthy who CRUSHED a laser beam of a drive in to right field to make it a 7-3 game.

LOL! Alek Thomas homers for the 2nd time tonight and the 5th overall Dbacks homer to make it 8-3 Dbacks. Loving this game thus far.

Ramirez comes in to relieve Mantiply in the 7th and even though he makes things a bit interesting we still roll in to the 8th with our lead unassailed.

Inning 8

• For the first time in what feels like forever our bats take a break. Well deserved for sure after how this game has gone, so I can’t be too mad.

Nothing much to report in the bottom of the 8th outside of a great grab in left field, but what’s important is that our lead is still intact and we’re off to the 9th. 8-3 Dbacks

Inning 9

• Nursing my cocktail and quite content with the Dbacks despite another (lol) scoreless Dbacks inning. Can’t complain with a good cocktail and a commanding lead.

Whelp. Wendelken comes in to “close out” this game and promptly allows the first 2 Pirates to get aboard. Not exactly what any Dbacks fan wants to see.

Good feelings quickly fade as Hayes’s drives in three runs with a bomb just over the center field wall. Now we’re in a much closer 8-6 game than any one of us would like to be in….ughhh

Melancon comes in to close out things and prompt allows a single, still with no outs…

Thankfully that’s all the drama he allowed and with a ground out this game is over.

Cheers all!

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Bells and whistles, by Jim

No comments turned up in Sedona Red, though I am tempted to pick Jack worrying about how long a hitting slump the D-backs would have. Turns out the answer is: one game. :) Same two teams tomorrow night, with Zach Davies starting for Arizona. It’s a 1:05 pm first pitch, Arizona time.