AZ Snake Pit - Game #145: September 12, Diamondbacks 2, Rockies 4An unofficial Arizona Diamondbacks community and bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47033/azsnakepit_f.png2017-09-13T02:17:46-04:00http://www.azsnakepit.com/rss/stream/160631092017-09-13T02:17:46-04:002017-09-13T02:17:46-04:00Diamondbacks 2, Rockies 4: Bullpen Successfully Avoids Win
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<img alt="MLB: Colorado Rockies at Arizona Diamondbacks" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Cimb6O6lQr-DQV7RwTM3sx4X5ZA=/3x0:3110x2071/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56651025/usa_today_10276049.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>(deep sigh)</p> <p id="WEFU14"><span>Taijuan Walker</span> took the mound for the <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> tonight. He didn’t have the most crisp stuff right from the get go tonight. In the first inning, he gave up a one out walk to <span>DJ LeMahieu</span>, which seems to me like it defeats the purpose of that shift. He avoided damage, however, by getting a strikeout and a force out to end the inning. He got a little further into damage in the second. <span>Trevor Story</span> knocked a one out double to center field to bring <span>Mark Reynolds</span> to the plate. Luckily, he brought the K part of Special K that at bat and struck out. Johnathon Lucroy was giving an intentional walk, and Jon Grey, the <a href="https://www.purplerow.com/">Rockies</a> starting pitcher struck out. </p>
<p id="XM9gD9">In the bottom of the second, JD Martinez lead the inning off. He smacked a ball off the jumbotron to put the Dbacks on the board. It wouldn’t last long, sadly. Walker walked <span>Charlie Blackmon</span> to start the third. DJ LeMahieu struck out, again defeating the purpose of the shift. <span>Carlos Gonzalez</span> came to the plate. He answered Martinez’s home run with one of his own, putting the Rockies up 2-1.</p>
<p id="Xm5rGC">The Diamondbacks put up a fight in the bottom of the third. Walker and <span>David Peralta</span> both singled, and <span>Chris Iannetta</span> was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. With no outs, it looked like the makings of a big inning. <span>Jake Lamb</span> hit a sac fly to score Walker, tying the game, bringing <span>Paul Goldschmidt</span> to the plate. Sadly, that was where the inning ended. Goldschmidt lined a ball right at Trevor Story, who flipped to second, completing the double play. <strong>Tied at 2</strong></p>
<p id="qChkUK">The score would stay there until the seventh inning. Walker had left the game at the start of the inning. Chafin recorded one out and then was replaced by David Hernandez. LeMehieu singled up the middle, for the third time defeating the point of the shift. <span>Carlos Gonzalez</span> homered, giving us our final score. <strong>Rockies 4-2</strong></p>
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<p id="oQbNVZ">CO-MVPs: Taijuan Walker 15%, JD Martinez 15.8%</p>
<p id="8kfQQl">SERIOUSLY HURTING MY HOPES AND DREAMS OF HIM BEING THE ACTUAL MVP: Paul Goldschmidt -18.6%</p>
<p id="etJyZx">Quiet GDT, much like the ballpark, tonight. DC lead the way with almost double the next person, despite leaving in the second or third innings. All present were:</p>
<p id="vvLEUj">Anachronistic1, AzDbackfanInDc, DORRITO, Diamondhacks, Gilbertsportsfan, GuruB, Imstillhungry95, Jackwriter, Jim McLennan, JoeCB1991, Makakilo, Michael McDermott, MikeMono, MrMrrbi, Oscar Goldman, SedonaRed24, Xerostomia, aldma, asteroid, coldblueAZ, edbigghead, hotclaws, onedotfive, piratedan7, rustynails77, samath, since_98, smartplays</p>
<p id="QaqJXx">No red comments, so I’m going to forgo the CotN. Join us again tomorrow as the Dbacks hope to right the ship. </p>
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https://www.azsnakepit.com/2017/9/13/16300270/diamondbacks-2-rockies-4-bullpen-successfully-avoids-winImstillhungry952017-09-13T00:43:03-04:002017-09-13T00:43:03-04:00Arizona Diamondbacks 2, Colorado Rockies 4
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<img alt="Colorado Rockies v Arizona Diamondbacks" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/d9z7cQZev2crLGb-ImR9nUIV0o8=/0x182:2824x2065/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56650285/846256638.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Stop me if you've heard this before...</p> <p id="8uz4VE">For the second time in this series against Colorado, the back of the Diamondbacks bullpen was unable to keep the game tied. Taijuan Walker had wobbled his way through six innings, with flaky control: he walked five and allowed four hits, but struck out six and limited the damage to two runs. Those were balanced by the offense who got the inevitable home-run from J.D. Martinez, who literally hit one off the Jumbotron, and a sacrifice fly by Jake Lamb.</p>
<p id="EOxF8I">The 7th inning was the problematic one, and David Hernandez was the goat tonight. He allowed a single against the LeMahieu Shift, but was left in by Torey Lovullo to face left-handed slugger Carlos Gonzalez, who had driven in both Rockies’ runs to that point, with a two-run homer. Another two-run shot followed, and the Arizona offense couldn’t do anything. Overall on the night, they went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position, so this loss is at least as much on them. David Peralta had two hits, and Martinez a ninth-inning double in addition to his homer. </p>
<p id="XVyijt">ish95 will be along later with the full recap. </p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2017/9/13/16300152/arizona-diamondbacks-colorado-rockies-scoreJim McLennan2017-09-12T21:00:02-04:002017-09-12T21:00:02-04:00Preview #145: Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Colorado Rockies
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<p>Suns night at Chase Field tonight. I hope it’s not infectious. </p> <div id="FgTEGC">
<div class="pane sports_data_widget lineup clearfix">
<h3>Today's Lineups</h3>
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<th align="left">COLORADO ROCKIES</th>
<th align="left">ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS</th>
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</thead>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Charlie Blackmon - CF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">David Peralta - LF</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">DJ LeMahieu - 2B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Chris Iannetta - C</td>
</tr>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Carlos Gonzalez - RF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Jake Lamb - 3B</td>
</tr>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Nolan Arenado - 3B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Paul Goldschmidt - 1B</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Gerardo Parra - LF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">J.D. Martinez - RF</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Trevor Story - SS</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">A.J. Pollock - CF</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Mark Reynolds - 1B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Daniel Descalso - 2B</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Jonathan Lucroy - C</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Ketel Marte - SS</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Jon Gray - RHP</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Taijuan Walker - RHP</td>
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</tbody>
</table>
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<h3 id="nY1dB4">
<a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> post-season magic number: 12</h3>
<h3 id="fvIGyC">Diamondbacks home-field magic number: 15</h3>
<h3 id="fpEbY8">Diamondbacks division anti-magic number: 10</h3>
<p id="mNXhrq">The Diamondbacks have been to the post-season more recently than the Suns - and the latter team play in a league where more than half the teams reach the playoffs. It is literally harder to miss the post-season in the NBA than to reach it. And the Phoenix Suns have managed to miss out <em>seven</em> seasons in a row, finishing this most recent campaign with a 24-58 record, the worst in the Western Conference. Yeah, with the Coyotes on a five-year playoff-free run, and the <a href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/">Cardinals</a> season apparently in the dumpster almost as soon as it began, the D-backs look increasingly likely to be the only serious pro game in town for Arizona sports fans (sorry, Rattlers and Mercury). </p>
<p id="loK09G">But there’s nothing wrong with a little cross-promotion. The team had Coyotes Night just last week - it was Friday night, which was also SnakePitFest - and follows that up with Suns Night tonight. That means players <span>Alan Williams</span>, Devin Booker, Josh Jackson and Tyler Ulis will be in attendance, along with head coach Earl Watson. The Suns dancers and their mascot, the Suns Gorilla will also be at the park. Do have to say, I like the Gorilla. It makes no real sense, of course - it stemmed from a Gorillagram delivered to the Vet during a timeout in 1980 - but it grew organically, and so works when more manufactured mascots (the Suns tried a sunflower at one point!) have failed. </p>
<p id="Tj8cZX"><span>Taijuan Walker</span> has an ERA of 0.79 over his last four starts, though I can’t say it has <em>felt</em> like it. They have been kinda short, totaling only 22.2 innings, and there have been 18 hits and 8 walks in that time, for a WHIP of 1.15, which is not particularly outstanding. That only two of those base-runners came around to score is the more impressive feat. Given one of them was a home-run, it’s a strand-rate of 97.6%; league average is generally somewhere in the low-to-mid seventies. Walker has clearly been doing very well, but it’s probably not sustainable. I’ll be happier if he doesn’t allow as many base-runners at all tonight. </p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2017/9/12/16299064/preview-arizona-diamondbacks-colorado-rockiesJim McLennan