AZ Snake Pit - Game #7, April 9: Diamondbacks 3, Indians 2An unofficial Arizona Diamondbacks community and bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47033/azsnakepit_f.png2017-04-09T20:18:45-04:00http://www.azsnakepit.com/rss/stream/150001412017-04-09T20:18:45-04:002017-04-09T20:18:45-04:00Diamondbacks 3, Indians 2: Sweeping statements
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<figcaption>Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>For the first time, the D-backs won a game while scoring fewer than six runs. It was kinda nerve-wracking...</p> <p id="z9Zo3N"><strong>Record: 6-1. Pace: 139-23. Change on 2016: +4. </strong></p>
<p id="z0t3fC">The D-backs came into this game batting a collective .322, and hitting .431 with runners in scoring position. Let’s be clear: that’s utterly unsustainable. But this afternoon’s victory proved that they can win in other ways as well: here, they it was clutch pitching, rather than hitting, that allowed them to complete the sweep over the American League champion <a href="https://www.letsgotribe.com/">Cleveland Indians</a>. They’re a good side: for context, they haven’t lost more than three in a row since July 2015. So do not underestimate the significance of this trilogy of victories.</p>
<p id="EuuBVP">It was certainly a very different <span>Patrick Corbin</span> we saw on the mound today, compared to the one who bombed unimpressively in the second game of the year against the <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">San Francisco Giants</a>. Interestingly, his slider was notable by its absence the first couple of times through the order, being largely replaced by his change-up. And it was a much more effective and efficient Corbin, who allowed one base-runner over the first three innings, in part because he seemed to be getting ahead in the count, rather than playing catch-up. That’s two starters, who both looked a lot better the second time around. Will <span>Taijuan Walker</span> continue this tomorrow in San Francisco?</p>
<p id="oC2EDp">The D-backs continued their usual pattern i.e. doing approximately jack the first time they see a pitcher. A <span>Paul Goldschmidt</span> single in the first was all they managed this afternoon. [If you’d told me before Opening Day, the team would score one run across the 21 innings of baseball which were innings 1-3 this week - I would certainly NOT have predicted a 6-1 record] But, as has become a certainty, alongside death, taxes and disappointing Hollywood adaptations of Japanese comics, they scored immediately thereafter. It was the result of some two-out magic, as hits from <span>Jake Lamb</span>, <span>Chris Owings</span> and an RBI single from <span>Daniel Descalso</span> gave Arizona the lead.</p>
<p id="02RFHC">And not just a lead: for this was the first time the D-backs had scored the opening run in a game the entire season. [Again: given the team that scores first wins about 70% of the time, going 5-1 through last night’s game is another remarkable feat] Would this cause them to melt immediately into a puddle of BABIP? Apparently not. Lovullo pushed the pedal, and a double-steal forced an error from the Indians’ catcher, whos throw to third scurried past the third baseman, and Owings was able to amble home. He then added his first home-run of the season in the sixth, and Corbin was able to turn things over to the bullpen with a three-run lead. </p>
<p id="sxnYBl">Which is where things got interesting...</p>
<p id="5gXek4">They say there’s always the chance of seeming something new at a baseball game. The top of the seventh inning proved that. <span>Andrew Chafin</span> came in - I must say, not quite sure why, since he faced exclusively right-handed batters - and got into trouble, as the result of single, wild pitch and walk. It then <em>looked</em> like he had a chance to get out of trouble, on a slowish ground ball to Paul Goldschmidt, who went to Owings to try and start a double-play. However, on the second leg, CO threw the ball wide of Chafin, who was covering first. Then the the fun began. Ever seen the same play require <strong>three</strong> video reviews? This one did:</p>
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<li id="bHfEht">Review #1 (Cleveland). Did Owings tag the base at first? Answer: No, out overturned</li>
<li id="zv4qON">Review #2 (requested by Cleveland). Should the runner at second be awarded third base because of the wild throw? Answer: No, stays at second</li>
<li id="xxtB8g">Review #3 (apparent umpire review, at request of <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a>). Was the slide into second legal? Answer: Yes.</li>
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<p id="z3KA9M">The net result was Owings charged with two errors on the same play, no outs, Cleveland on the board, and men on first and second. <span>Archie Bradley</span> entered, and there was a sacrifice bunt. The initial call at first was safe, but after the D-backs’ <em>official</em> review request, that was overturned for an out, but the tying run was now in scoring position. Bradley, undaunted, got a shallow infield pop-up, and a ground-ball that <span>Brandon Drury</span> <em>just</em> got to Goldschmidt for the out in time. It looked for a second like there was going to be another review there, but the Indians decline, and the D-backs escaped the inning, with the lead reduced to 3-1, but still there. </p>
<p id="pA2jlQ">Thus began three extremely nervous final innings, which saw Cleveland get the tying run on base with no outs in the 7th, and at the plate with one out in the 8th and no outs in the 9th. Bradley looked solid in throwing two innings of relief, but opening the ninth with <span>Fernando Rodney</span> on the mound, Jake Lamb airmailed a throw way over Goldschmidt’s head. One out and an RBI single later, with the go-ahead run now at the plate, <span>Carlos Santana</span> crushed a Rodney offering to right, but <span>David Peralta</span> was able to haul the ball in, gazing up into the sun on the warning track. A K ended the game, and Arizona had won 5 in a row at Chase, something not managed in 2014, 2015 or 2016. </p>
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<div id="l3F7K0"><p style="text-align:center"><b>Click <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/livewins.aspx?date=2017-04-09&team=Diamondbacks&dh=0&season=2017" target="_blank">here</a> for details, at Fangraphs.com</b>
<br><b>Traffic: Patrick Corbin, +35.5%</b>
<br>Pandorum: Bradley, +30.8%; Owings, +17.5%
<br><b><i>The Day After Tomorrow: Andrew Chafin, -23.1%</i></b></p></div>
<p id="86eD43">I didn’t get to do the usual “Birthday pic” in the Gameday Thread, but the above is in reference to Dennis Quaid, who would have been the actor chosen. Another solid turnout in the GDT, thanks to AZSunDevilP, AzDbackfanInDc, FormerlyChelsea75, GuruB, I suppose I'm a Pessimist, Imstillhungry95, Jackwriter, James Attwood, Jim McLennan, JoeCB1991, JoeyLewis, Keegan Thompson, Makakilo, Michael McDermott, MrMrrbi, Oldenschoole, Re Tired, Skii, Sprankton, Xerostomia, aldma, alphadrew88, david.munter, ford.williams.10, gametime111, hotclaws, leo7630, makattack71, noblevillain, onedotfive, repre, shoewizard, since_98, smartplays and thunderpumpkin87.</p>
<p id="6AR1iK">Comment of the thread to hotclaws, for one which probably requires some context, but is bizarre enough to succeed on its own!</p>
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<p id="1oTEHg">The D-backs finish the opening homestand with the best record in baseball. No-one could have seen that coming, but let’s enjoy it while we can. Now, it’s off through California for a ten-game road-trip, which starts tomorrow in San Francisco. Note: <strong>it’s a day game</strong>, being the Giants’ home opener. So I don’t want anyone showing up here at 7pm tomorrow night, wondering where the Gameday Thread is! Taijuan Walker takes on <span>Matt Moore</span> there. </p>
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https://www.azsnakepit.com/diamondbacks-gamedays/2017/4/9/15238618/arizona-diamondbacks-cleveland-indians-recapJim McLennan2017-04-09T19:14:46-04:002017-04-09T19:14:46-04:00Diamondbacks 3, Indians 2
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<figcaption>Photo by Sebastian Widmann/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Diamondbacks finished off the sweep of the Indians and are off to their best start in a very long time. </p> <p id="Iu0Voq"><span>Patrick Corbin</span> rebounded from his shaky start against the <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">San Francisco Giants</a>, to give the D-backs six innings of shutout ball this afternoon. While he was not necessarily dominant, striking out only three and walking two, he got some big outs when he needed them, in particular a double-play that ended the fifth with two men on base. Arizona, meanwhile, had taken the lead in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI single by <span>Daniel Descalso</span>, then courtesy of a throwing error on a double-steal attempt, that allowed <span>Chris Owings</span> to saunter home.</p>
<p id="phGzeN">Owings made it 3-0 with his first home-run, with one out in the sixth. But there were still some VERY tense moments thereafter. <span>Andrew Chafin</span> allowed all three men he faced to reach base (eventually... that’ll have to wait for the long recap!), but <span>Archie Bradley</span> came in and extinguished the fire there, also posting a zero in the eighth inning. <span>Fernando Rodney</span> eventually notched his second save, despite Cleveland getting the tying run to the plate with no outs. Owings finished with three hits, while Paul Goldschmidt had a pair, as the D-backs went to 6-1 for the first time in any season since 2000. </p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2017/4/9/15238772/arizona-diamondbacks-cleveland-indians-scoreJim McLennan2017-04-09T15:00:02-04:002017-04-09T15:00:02-04:00Preview, #7: Diamondbacks vs. Indians
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<figcaption>Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Diamondbacks have the chance to go for a sweep of the American League defending champions at Chase Field this afternoon.</p> <p>There weren't many sweeps at Chase Field last year. In fact, before mid-to-late September, when we did the deed over both the Rockies and Padres, the only time we even had the <i>chance</i> to sweep, going into the final game, was against the Yankees from May 16-17. We beat them 12-2 and 5-3 over the first two games, before blowing the sweep by dropping the series finale 4-2. Safe to say we're ahead of the curve there too. We've also won four games in a row at Chase, something else we didn't do until very late on - Sep 12-15, to be precise, covering the Colorado series and the first game that followed against Los Angles.</p>
<p>That also powered an offensive stretch which mirrored this one, Arizona scoring 45 runs over six games. We murdered the Rockies, piling up 34 runs against them - perhaps surprisingly, considering it wasn't at Coors Field, then beat LA 7-3 in the opening game, before managing only two runs in the pair of defeats which followed. The interesting thing is, there's usually ONE spell like this in a season, e.g. 2015, we scored 46 runs from August 9-15; 2014, we scored 44 from June 3-8; 2013, 46 runs from June 1-6. None of those helped us to a winning record. Let's hope it's not a case of Arizona simply getting this year's streak out of the way early...</p>
<p>The strong start, however, has not been mirrored in attendance at Chase Field, which is down almost four thousand per game compared to last year. Only the Dodgers, curiously, have a larger drop. The last two games against the Giants totaled less than 30,000 between them. There are some encouraging green shoots, the broadcast last night mentioning that they had four thousand walk-up ticket sales for the game. However, 28,437 for a bobblehead is still low. All four last year pulled in more than that, the most comparable (April 23) one getting 32,935, so roughly in line with the overall average drop mentioned.</p>
<p>No line-ups at this point, since Mrs. SnakePit and I are heading out this morning for a charity brunch. [Look, I get to eat, drink AND support a good cause? Where do I sign up?] So this is a pre-scheduled preview. I'll add the line-ups in the Gameday Thread, since we should be back in time for that.</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2017/4/9/15235900/preview-arizona-diamondbacks-cleveland-indiansJim McLennan