Team News

Dallas Keuchel roughed up in 2nd start for Diamondbacks vs. Rockies
https://arizonasports.com/story/3198733/dallas-keuchel-roughed-up-in-2nd-start-for-dbacks-vs-rockies/

Keuchel, Diamondbacks’ defense struggle in loss to Rockies

With a runner on first and one out in the first inning, the Rockies’ Charlie Blackmon hit a grounder to the right side. Walker gloved it, shuffled a bit toward the mound and threw to second. The throw looked like a good one — heading right toward shortstop Geraldo Perdomo — until it glanced off the left shoulder of baserunner Kris Bryant.

....
“I didn’t miss by much,” Walker said of the throw. “But it’s a game of inches. Maybe three inches to the left and we get a double play. At the very least, we get the lead runner and get out of it.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2022/07/02/rockies-return-favor-hammer-diamondbacks-pitching-even-series/7797860001/

D-backs have rotation decisions to make after tough loss

https://www.mlb.com/dbacks/news/d-backs-have-question-marks-in-rotation

Diamondbacks option Pavin Smith to Triple-A Reno

“We want him to get those consistent at-bats,” Lovullo said. “When it’s right, he can take over a lineup and control a lineup and people around him are better.”

https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2022/07/02/diamondbacks-option-pavin-smith-triple-reno/7797445001/

Diamondbacks’ Carson Kelly digs into his past to find way out of slump

“It’s like a journal,” he said. “A lot of it is, if it’s something I feel in the cage, or (after Friday night) I’ll go write some stuff about what I felt, and then try to recapture that as much as possible.”

https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2022/07/02/diamondbacks-catcher-carson-kelly-found-words-of-wisdom-within-notebooks-from-earlier-in-his-career/7797762001/

Other Baseball

Ohtani’s historic June: 11-game hit streak, 1.52 ERA!

This guy is like, you create a player in a video game, and then go, “Nah, that’s not realistic.”

Ohtani excelled as both a pitcher and a hitter, as he batted .298/.398/.575 with six homers, six doubles and 17 RBIs in 26 games, while going 4-1 with a 1.52 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings in five starts on the mound. He capped it with a strong performance against the White Sox on Thursday, striking out 11 over 5 2/3 scoreless innings to extend his scoreless streak to 21 2/3 innings.

https://www.mlb.com/angels/news/shohei-ohtani-excels-at-pitching-and-hitting-in-june-2022

Greene walks it off in style with first MLB HR

https://www.mlb.com/tigers/news/riley-greene-hits-first-mlb-home-run-to-walk-it-off

‘I’m an old man’: Greinke flashes wisdom in milestone start

“‘I’m starting to get old out there. I’m an old man,’”

“I wasn’t making good pitches that whole inning,” Greinke said. “I needed a break to try to reset. I think the pitch before, I tried to do 10 seconds in between pitches, then I made another bad pitch. So, I needed the full 45 seconds to try to get back on track.”

“I like that 500-career-start thing,” Greinke said. “Not many numbers I’ve been interested in. Found out about that last game that it was going to be 500 this time. [I] think that’s a pretty neat little number.”

https://www.mlb.com/royals/news/zack-greinke-earns-win-in-500th-career-start

Farm Implements

AAA Reno beat Sacremento 10-9, scoring 5 runs in the top of the 9th inning to wind it.

AA Poodles won 13-12 against NW Arkansas,

A HIllsboro won 3-2 over Tri City.

A Visalia won 7-5 over the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.

Anything Goes

This day in history:

1775, Washington took command of the Continental Army.
In 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg ends, the Siege of Vicksburg (Western Theatre) will end a day later. These were two major Federal victories were the beginning of the end of the war for the CSA. Lee knew that in order to beat the US, he had to score a decisive victory on Northern soil. The South could not win a prolonged war. Gettysburg wasn’t where he was actually planning on the showdown. That it happened at Gettysburg was happenstance, Rebel troops had entered the town on July 1st and found 3 Federal cavalry brigades. Lee’s plan was actually the state capitol Harrisburg, and then circle around south to DC. One of the things I definitely want to do some day is visit the battlefield.
In 1890, Idaho became a state.

This day in baseball history:

In 1909, the Cardinals committed 17 errors in a double header loss to the Reds. (10-2 and then 13-7 losses). The Red Sox played their first Sunday game in 1932, a loss to the Yankees. In 1947, the Indians purchased Larry Doby from the Newark Eagles, he became the first black player in the AL two days later. In 1983, the Rangers scored 12 runs in the 15th inning to beat the A’s 16-4. The Indians retired Larry Doby’s number in 1994. In 2010, the Dbacks committed 6 errors in a 14-1 loss to the Dodgers. This was Gibby’s first loss (they won the previous game which was his debut)

A more in depth description of the different facts can be found here.
https://facts.net/4th-of-july-facts/

In Marana they have the Star Spangled Spectacular as the fireworks show. Almost every year, they manage to light the wash behind the park on fire. I can see the fireworks show from my apartment (from 4 miles away). In either 2018 or 2019, I was watching it, and after only 10 minutes the fireworks abruptly stopped and there was a reddish glow being reflected by the smoke. I turned on the news, apparently, instead of going straight up in the air a couple of fireworks shot straight into the desert. I think it was the worst fire the FD had to put out (it wasn’t more than a brush fire, though).

Happy Fourth of July and stay safe.

En nu op naar DBE’s snakebytes morgen.