AZ Snake Pit - Game #151: September 18, Diamondbacks 2, Padres 4An unofficial Arizona Diamondbacks community and bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47033/azsnakepit_f.png2017-09-20T01:55:57-04:00http://www.azsnakepit.com/rss/stream/160952312017-09-20T01:55:57-04:002017-09-20T01:55:57-04:00Diamondbacks 2, Padres 6: No one said it would be easy
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<img alt="MLB: Arizona Diamondbacks at San Diego Padres" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Vir9rq6SWff-zOotShmSA3V3ERY=/0x771:1849x2004/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56765753/usa_today_10293713.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Magic Number for Home Field Advantage: 6</p> <figure class="e-image">
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<p id="qKeQg8">Things started really well. AJ Pollock lead off the game against <a href="https://www.gaslampball.com/">Padres</a> starter Travis Wood. He hit a home run to the put the <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> on the board. However, Rosales, Goldschmidt, and Martinez all made outs to end the inning.</p>
<p id="QCOzfk">It didn’t take long for that small lead to evaporate. Zach Godley was the starter for Arizona, and if you were hoping for a gem, thanks to that great Marine Layer, you would have been disappointed. It’s almost like these Padres are a young and rising team, that’s been calling up their best prospects the past couple months and getting a taste of their future...</p>
<p id="PIQnXo">Anyway, I digress. <span>Manuel Margot</span> singled and then stole second. <span>Carlos Asuaje</span> also singled. <span>Wil(l) Myers</span> got a single of his own and scored Margot and sent Asuaje to third. A Yangeris Solarte sac fly scored another, but after that, a visit from Butcher helped Goldey to settle down and he got out of the inning. <strong>2-1 Padres</strong></p>
<p id="K0mnpJ">Both teams were quiet in the second inning, but the Padres struck again in the third. Myers got the inning started with a double, and then he came home on a Solarte single. Solarte then went to second on a Corey Spangenberg single. <span>Hunter Renfroe</span> and <span>Travis Jankowski</span> both struck out, but a wild pitch during <span>Jankowski</span>’s at bat allowed the runners to advance to second and third. That opened a base for them to walk the eight hitter, allowing Godley to face Wood, their pitcher. That didn’t work out as one would have hoped, as Wood knocked a two strike, two out single to score two runs. <strong>5-1 Padres.</strong></p>
<p id="mbNVEK">That was pretty much the ball game. Pollock got another solo home run and then a double to lead off the top of the ninth, but that was all anyone on the team really managed. It is nice to see him start being productive again. A healthy and hitting Pollock will do wonders for our chances once the post season starts, which the Diamondbacks are still overwhelmingly likely to participate in. </p>
<p id="mdHTd6">To wrap up the scoring, Asuaje added another run in the bottom of the sixth off another RBI single, this time however, off <span>Jake Barrett</span>, who had replaced Godley. That run proved largely meaningless as the Diamondbacks never came anywhere near the Padres the rest of the game.</p>
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<p id="8ed3mZ">Godley: AJ Pollock 19.3%</p>
<p id="poKeFd">Not-so-Godley: <span>Zack Godley</span> -32.3%</p>
<p id="ce4Uln">A very, very depressed GDT. I commented on Twitter that despite only being 6-4 following tonight’s game (which don’t get me wrong, isn’t good, but not catastrophic either) you would think that we were in the middle of a Dodger-esque slump, losing 30 out of our last 17, or something. We aren’t. Are we doing great right now? Of course not, but with the <a href="https://www.purplerow.com/">Rockies</a> loss tonight our Magic number for home field advantage drops to six. That means any combination of six Rockies losses and Dbacks wins gets us a guaranteed home game for the playoffs. I’m still feeling pretty confident.</p>
<p id="d3Z2p0">Anyway, Dbacks try to salvage a game from the series tomorrow. 6:10 start time, with <span>Robbie Ray</span> taking the mound for the Diamondbacks. Should be a good game, and with Ray on the mound, I feel fairly confident. </p>
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https://www.azsnakepit.com/2017/9/20/16337770/diamondbacks-2-padres-6-aj-pollock-zack-godleyImstillhungry952017-09-19T02:07:13-04:002017-09-19T02:07:13-04:00Arizona Diamondbacks 2, San Diego Padres 4: Who’s your Padre?
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<img alt="MLB: Arizona Diamondbacks at San Diego Padres" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YPL69eJKOsZUY6VD1iEWj8r9mw0=/0x0:3318x2212/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56746351/usa_today_10291445.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Good job we won’t be facing the Padres in a one-game playoff.</p> <p id="dfMNWk"><strong>Record: 87-64. Pace: 93-69. Change on 2016: +24.</strong></p>
<p id="Jk6c5M">Without checking the schedule, I’m not quite sure how the D-backs managed to win the season series over the <a href="https://www.gaslampball.com/">Padres</a>. I can only presume we must have kicked their San Diegoean asses back in the early part of the season. Because based on the evidence of last series and tonight, with the Padres winning three of the last four contests against the <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a>, they don’t suck. They’ve certainly done better this year than many expected: <em>USA Today </em>predicted 97 losses and the worst record in baseball. They won’t even have the worst record in the NL West (hello, San Francisco). </p>
<p id="oStiSa">Tonight, I’m not sure whether they won the game, or Arizona lost it. We’d forgotten about Patrick Corbin’s first inning woes, during his recent improvements, but they came back again tonight, with a vengeance. He got the opening two Padres easily enough, but then allowed a long ground-rule double to Wil Myers. The next at-bat was the key one, <span>Yangervis Solarte</span> somehow fouling off an array of sliders, including four consecutive 2-2 pitches, to draw a walk. <span>Hunter Renfroe</span> then pounced on a 1-1 offering, and sent it high over the fence in center for a three-run homer. Corbin’s first inning ERA is now 7.55. Thereafter? 3.44. </p>
<p id="S7T7d1">There was another long-ball allowed by Corbin with one out in the second, but was a solo shot - albeit, only thanks to <span>Chris Herrmann</span> nailing the lead-off walk when he tried to steal second base. But thereafter, Corbin allowed only one more hit, a one-out double in his fifth and last inning. He finished the night by getting Solarte to pop up to Herrmann. Though we almost got to see Chris trip over his own mask, because he just kinda dropped it casually by his side, rather than tossing the equipment well clear. Corbin could probably have gone further, only throwing 81 pitches, but we needed the offense. He was charged with four runs on four hits and three walks, with three K’s. </p>
<p id="KOCCSU">Diamondbacks’ manager Torey Lovullo shook the line-up up, with <span>Paul Goldschmidt</span> batting third, ahead of <span>J.D. Martinez</span>, and <span>Jake Lamb</span> dropped to sixth. I know there are certainly some posters here who will have been delighted with that change. But you’d be hard pushed to have detected any improvement in the team’s production as a result, being held to just two runs for the third consecutive game. It’s the first time that has happened this season, which is kinda impressive considering we had three such streaks from July on last year. [Fun fact: the franchise record is nine games in July 2003, over which we scored a total of 11 runs. Somehow, we still won two of them!] </p>
<p id="dBKTv4">Both tonight’s tallies came in the third inning. Herrmann led off with a walk, and was sacrificed over to second. <span>David Peralta</span> got Arizona on the board with a single to center, and <span>Ketel Marte</span> followed with more of the same. One out later, J.D. Martinez continued his RBI per game rate, driving in Peralta with a bloop to left-center. But that was all, with <span>Daniel Descalso</span> being robbed of an RBI hit with an unpleasantly impressive sliding catch in center. That ended the inning, though the Diamondbacks had cut the Padres’ advantage in half, making the score 4-2. </p>
<p id="djFuS2">Opportunities thereafter were limited, Arizona steadfastedly refusing to take advantage of a stream of gift base-runners. In the six innings which <span>Luis Perdomo</span> started for San Diego, he gave the first batter a free pass in four of them, and issued a one-out walk in another. Only in the second inning did that man get past first base, although in the sixth, it did help set up the visitors’ best chance. Two walks around a single by Lamb loaded the bases for Arizona with one out. However, Herrmann flew out too shallowly for the runner at third to come home, and <span>Rey Fuentes</span> popped out on the infield. </p>
<p id="NJuDf4">That was it, until the ninth, when we got the tying run to the plate with one out, and on base with two outs. But <span>Marte</span> flew out to center, and we dropped the opener. One positive was three hitless innings from people who are likely auditioning for spots in the post-season bullpen: <span>J.J. Hoover</span>, <span>Jimmie Sherfy</span> and <span>David Hernandez</span> all posted a zero in their frame of work, facing one batter over the minimum. Though, again, with help from Herrmann, who threw out another attempted base-stealer to end Sherfy’s inning - given Myers was at the plate, this was probably no bad thing! Only five hits for Arizona, Martinez and Peralta each getting one plus a walk. </p>
<p id="8IUxbJ">Speaking of Peralta, he left this game with what was described by the team as tightness in his right quad: doesn’t sound too serious, but we’ll await updates. The loss reduces our wild-card lead over the idle <a href="https://www.purplerow.com/">Rockies</a> to 4<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub> games, but they were also caught up on by the <a href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/">Brewers</a>, who also won, and so sit 2<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub> games behind Colorado. Magic numbers for clinching a post-season spot and home-field advantage there, both remain unchanged. </p>
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<div id="899n5P"><p style="text-align:center"><b>Click <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/livewins.aspx?date=2017-09-18&team=Padres&dh=0&season=2017" target="_blank">here</a> for details, at Fangraphs.com</b>
<br><b>Ninotchka: J.D. Martinez, +8.7%</b>
<br>Hulk Hogan: Pollock, +38.2%; Goldschmidt, +20.3%; Mathis, +18.8%
<br><b><i>The Joyless Street: Patrick Corbin, -19,4%</i></b><i>
<br>Big Parade of Comedy: Herrmann, -11.2%; Marte, -10.6%; Fuentes, -10.6%</i></p></div>
<p id="mZQFYu">Thanks to those present in the GDT: Anachronistic1, AzRattler, DeadManG, Gilbertsportsfan, Greinkeschmidt, GuruB, Jackwriter, JoelPre, Makakilo, Michael McDermott, MikeMono, MrMrrbi, Oldenschoole, PaulGoldsmith, SongBird, asteroid, coldblueAZ, edbigghead, hotclaws, kilnborn, onedotfive, rustynails77, smartplays and soco. Comment of the night to Michael, after one of Herrmann’s victims died on the base-paths:</p>
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<p id="tbn6HC">We reconvene at Petco again tomorrow night, with <span>Zack Godley</span> starting for the D-backs. It’s another 7:10pm first pitch, so bring the caffeinated beverages. :)</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2017/9/19/16332002/arizona-diamondbacks-san-diego-padres-recapJim McLennan2017-09-19T01:14:53-04:002017-09-19T01:14:53-04:00Arizona Diamondbacks 2, San Diego Padres 4
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<figcaption>Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Patrick Corbin’s first inning struggles returned tonight. </p> <p id="YHlifj">In this case, it was a three-run homer in the first inning, which ended up being all the offense that the <a href="https://www.gaslampball.com/">San Diego Padres</a> would need. <span>Patrick Corbin</span> then allowed another home-run in the second innings, though that one was a solo shot. He ended up going through five innings, allowing four runs on four hits and three walks, with three strikeouts. The bullpen worked three scoreless innings - indeed, three <em>hitless</em> innings - with <span>J.J. Hoover</span>, <span>Jimmie Sherfy</span> and <span>David Hernandez</span> each striking out a batter.</p>
<p id="erF9hd">The offense were not able to take advantage of a stream of leadoff base-runners, with the Padres’ starter allowing six walks in 5.1 innings. They did score two runs in the third, on RBI singles by <span>David Peralta</span> and <span>J.D. Martinez</span>. But the D-backs then wasted their best chance, unable to score with the bases loaded and one out in the sixth inning. Arizona also got the tying run to the plate with one out in the ninth, and that ended up going no better either. </p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2017/9/19/16331974/arizona-diamondbacks-2-san-diego-padres-4Jim McLennan2017-09-18T22:00:02-04:002017-09-18T22:00:02-04:00Gameday Thread, #151: 9/18 vs. Padres
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<figcaption>Frazer Harrison/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Born today: Greta Garbo</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2017/9/18/16331502/gameday-thread-151-9-18-vs-padresJim McLennan2017-09-18T21:00:02-04:002017-09-18T21:00:02-04:00Preview #151: Arizona Diamondbacks @ San Diego Padres
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<img alt="Arizona Diamondbacks v New York Mets" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lqv7oYL73oESL6pnNT24wdoCYLA=/1x0:4519x3012/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56743227/837528180.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>A change in the batting order tonight. Surely, runs will now flow like fine wine. </p> <div id="iJOhH4">
<div class="pane sports_data_widget lineup clearfix">
<h3>Today's Lineups</h3>
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<th align="left">ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS</th>
<th align="left">SAN DIEGO PADRES</th>
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<td class="td-last td-name">David Peralta - LF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Manuel Margot - CF</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Ketel Marte - SS</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Erick Aybar - SS</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Paul Goldschmidt - 1B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Wil Myers - 1B</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">J.D. Martinez - RF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Yangervis Solarte - 2B</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Daniel Descalso - 2B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Hunter Renfroe - RF</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Jake Lamb - 3B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Christian Villanueva - 3B</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">A.J. Pollock - CF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Matt Szczur - LF</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Chris Herrmann - C</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Austin Hedges - C</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Patrick Corbin - LHP</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Luis Perdomo - RHP</td>
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<p id="Iw0DnY">Yes, the Twitterverse will be deliriously happy tonight, for <span>Paul Goldschmidt</span> is batting in the three-hole, just ahead of <span>J.D. Martinez</span>. Jake Lamb has been pushed down the order to #6, even though there is a right-handed pitcher on the mound for San Diego. If the team does not score at least ten runs tonight, I will be demanding to know why, Because I have repeatedly been assured that’s the reason why the D-backs have been struggling so much offensively of late. Uh, well, for the last three games anyway - let’s forget about the 15 runs over the final two games of the <a href="https://www.purplerow.com/">Rockies</a> series, shall we? </p>
<p id="MqxNVc">In fact, this is the first series for quite some time where the offense hasn’t done their thing. In the Colorado set, Arizona averaged 5.25 runs per game. Before that, against the <a href="https://www.gaslampball.com/">Padres</a>, 5.33. Prior to that, during the road-trip through Los Angeles and Colorado, 6.33 and 6.67 respectively. You have to go back to the <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a> series, from August 21-24, to find a set where we did not average more than five runs per game. Considering no park in the majors this year has been better for pitching than AT&T, with a combined ERA for all pitchers of 3.69, I can’t say I am particularly concerned about this alleged offensive slump. Petco probably isn’t going to be too different. </p>
<p id="RsiFpv">What I certainly hope <strong>is</strong> different, is Patrick Corbin’s outing against these Padres, as the last time he faced them, Corbin single-handedly ruined SnakePitFest. For San Diego got to Patrick for eight earned runs, on 11 hits in just 4.1 innings. However, he bounced back with 6.2 strong innings against the Rockies at Chase, and I’m confident the bad outing was just a blip. He should certainly find the confines of Petco a good deal more friendly than Chase: all batters in San Diego have been held to a .236 average, and the .696 OPS is second-lowest in the majors ahead of the .692 at... AT&T Park. But Goldschmidt’s batting third! What could possibly stop Arizona?</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2017/9/18/16331196/preview-arizona-diamondbacks-san-diego-padresJim McLennan