AZ Snake Pit - Game #33, May 5: Diamondbacks 4, Astros 3An unofficial Arizona Diamondbacks community and bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47033/azsnakepit_f.png2018-05-06T02:33:55-04:00http://www.azsnakepit.com/rss/stream/170874612018-05-06T02:33:55-04:002018-05-06T02:33:55-04:00D-backs 4, Astros 3: Pollock stays hot, answers rally back with a walk-off
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<img alt="Houston Astros v Arizona Diamondbacks" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7W8Jhodh0sN5eg2OsHmXwyMxdf8=/0x0:5011x3341/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59642201/955150220.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="o5yIDo"><strong>Record: 22-11. Pace: 108-54. Change on 2017: +4.</strong></p>
<p id="jlrkji">Zach Grienke got the start in Saturday night’s game against the <a href="https://www.crawfishboxes.com/">Houston Astros</a>, who had right handed pitcher <span>Charlie Morton</span> get the start for them. </p>
<p id="J8dv7l">The <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> got on the board early in the first inning by taking advantage of <span>Morton</span>’s control problems. Morton walked Peralta, Descalso, and Goldschmidt to lead off the game, and Pollock hit a sac fly to bring Peralta home, giving the Dbacks an early one run lead. The Dbacks would tack on another with a solo homer in the second, putting the Dbacks up 2-0.</p>
<p id="XfaWZO">Meanwhile, Zach Grienke would be solid through the first four innings, keeping the Astros off the board until the top of the fifth, when he gave up a solo homer to <span>George Springer</span> to make the score 2-1. Grienke would answer back immediately in the bottom of the fifth by hitting a double to help his own cause. <span>David Peralta</span> would single to drive Grienke home, putting the Dbacks up 3-1, but would be thrown out trying to advance to second. The next batter, <span>Daniel Descalso</span> would be hit by a pitch, but Goldschmidt struck out swinging, and Pollock would ground out to end the threat.</p>
<p id="F5rqKW">After getting two outs in the sixth inning, Grieke would be taken out of the game for <span>Andrew Chafin</span>, who proceeded to walk two batters, and failed to get any outs. Bradley would have to come in and get final out of the sixth inning, and would pitch a perfect seventh inning as well. </p>
<p id="UqWA9T">Yoshi Hirano would run into trouble in the eighth inning. Hirano would get <span>Yuli Gurriel</span> out on a groundout, but would walk <span>Josh Reddick</span>, and <span>Brian McCann</span> would hit a double driving him home, making the score 3-2 Diamondbacks. <span>McCann</span> would be taken out for a pinch-runner, <span>Jake Marisnick</span>. After a mound visit, Hirano would walk <span>Marwin Gonzalez</span>, putting runners on first and second. <span>Derek Fisher</span> would pinch hit for reliever <span>Joe Smith</span>, and would double, driving <span>Jake Marisnick</span> home, tying the game up at 3-3. </p>
<p id="qg8c0R"><span>Hector Rondon</span> would pitch the bottom of the eighth inning for Houston, and would get Steven Souza Jr on a line out, <span>Ketel Marte</span> on a fly out, and would strike out <span>Nick Ahmed</span>.</p>
<p id="LGG1ax"><span>Brad Boxberger</span> would pitch the ninth for the Dbacks, and would quietly set down <span>Jose Altuve</span>, <span>Carlos Correa</span>, and <span>Yuli Gurriel</span>. </p>
<p id="cVgawf"><span>Chris Devenski</span> would replace <span>Hector Rondon</span> for Houston, pitching the ninth. <span>Jeff Mathis</span> lead off the inning with a single, and would be taken out of the game for pinch runner Jarrod Dyson. Deven Marrero would ground bunt into a fielder’s choice, and Dyson would be out at second and Marrero would be safe at first. Marrero would steal second, somewhat redeeming himself, but David Peralta would strike out for the second out of the inning. <span>Devenski</span> would lose all control of the ball, and would walk <span>Chris Owings</span> and <span>Paul Goldschmidt</span>, loading the bases. <span>A.J. Pollock</span> would come up to bat with the bases loaded with two outs, and would single on the first pitch, sending Marrero home to score the winning run. </p>
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<div id="d1gdBK"><p style="text-align:center"><b>Click <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/livewins.aspx?date=2018-05-05&team=Diamondbacks&dh=0&season=2018" target="_blank">here</a> for details, at Fangraphs.com</b>
<br><b>General Ignacio Zaragoza: A.J. Pollock, +24.5%</b>
<br>Benito Juárez: Greinke, +24.2%; Boxberger, +15.2%; Bradley, +13.8%; Descalso +10.1%
<br><b><i>General Charles de Lorencez: Yoshihisa, Hirano, -23.4%</i></b><i>
<br>Habsburg Archduke Maximilian: Nick Ahmed, -12.2%</i></p></div>
<p id="pLF1cG">570 comments, from 28 people who sensibly decided not to risk going out on Cinco de Mayo. They were: AZDovs11, AzRattler, BobDolio, CumulusChoir, DORRITO, DeadManG, Diamondhacks, Fangdango, GuruB, JTyson, Jackwriter, James Attwood, Jim McLennan, Makakilo, Michael McDermott, MikeMono, MrMrrbi, Wesley Baier, aldma, asteroid, coldblueAZ, gamepass, hotclaws, nolanriley13, onedotfive, shoewizard, smartplays and suroeste. Comment of the night to Diamondhacks:</p>
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<p id="PPUMtv">It was a very smart, and beautifully executed play. Credit also the players who took their walks thereafter, to load the bases for Pollock’s dagger. With the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> losing to the <a href="https://www.gaslampball.com/">Padres</a>, this put the D-backs back to seven in front of them, and also maintains our lead over the <a href="https://www.purplerow.com/">Rockies</a> and <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a>, who both won. The victory sets up a rubber game tomorrow, in which <span>Matt Koch</span> will seek to lead the charge for another giant killing, the D-backs having prevailed in a <span>Clayton Kershaw</span> start the last time <span>Koch</span> pitched. Here’s to more of the same on Sunday afternoon, and a winning end to Hell Week!</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2018/5/6/17323834/arizona-diamondbacks-houston-astros-a-j-pollock-zack-greinkeC.Wesley Baier2018-05-05T23:52:30-04:002018-05-05T23:52:30-04:00Arizona Diamondbacks 4, Houston Astros 3
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<img alt="Houston Astros v Arizona Diamondbacks" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/uAyshiOp6srFDRXIKF-krMzuXN4=/0x1:3095x2064/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59641647/955131064.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>A.J. Pollock walked this one off, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.</p> <p id="GmAPfK">The <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> overcame some hellacious struggles with runners in scoring position, to take the second game of the series against the World Champion <a href="https://www.crawfishboxes.com/">Astros</a>. They had Houston starter <span>Charlie Morton</span> on the ropes in a first inning where he walked four, but Arizona could only manage one run, on an <span>A.J. Pollock</span> sacrifice fly. <span>David Peralta</span> made it 2-0 with his sixth home-run of the year, and although the Astros got one back with a solo homer of their own, <span>Zack Greinke</span> crossed home plate (above) after doubling, on a Peralta single, to restore the two-run lead.</p>
<p id="zwA1dw">Greinke went 5.2 innings, allowing one run on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts. <span>Archie Bradley</span> got the next four outs, after <span>Andrew Chafin</span> couldn’t end the sixth, but <span>Yoshihisa Hirano</span> allowed two runs in the eighth, allowing the Astros to tie the game at 3-3. The bottom of the ninth started with a bunt single by <span>Jeff Mathis</span> - yes, really! - and ended with Pollock smashing the first pitch he saw from Houston closer <span>Brad Peacock</span>, off an infielder’s glove with the bases loaded. The D-backs were held to six hits, two from Peralta, while <span>Paul Goldschmidt</span> drew a pair of walks. </p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2018/5/5/17323824/arizona-diamondbacks-4-houston-astros-3Jim McLennan2018-05-05T19:31:20-04:002018-05-05T19:31:20-04:00Preview, #33: 5/5 vs. Astros
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<img alt="Los Angeles Dodgers v Arizona Diamondbacks" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mRMJQ5hJ_qUJXsl3ByPtvgJOgvY=/0x142:1680x1262/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59640729/953581078.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Hopefully, this won’t go as badly as yesterday...</p> <div id="9tzUUm">
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<h3>Today's Lineups</h3>
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<th align="left">HOUSTON ASTROS</th>
<th align="left">ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS</th>
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<td class="td-last td-name">George Springer - CF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">David Peralta - LF</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Jose Altuve - 2B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Daniel Descalso - 3B</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Carlos Correa - SS</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Paul Goldschmidt - 1B</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Yulieski Gurriel - 1B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">A.J. Pollock - CF</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Josh Reddick - RF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Steven Souza - RF</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Alex Bregman - 3B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Ketel Marte - 2B</td>
</tr>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Brian McCann - C</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Nick Ahmed - SS</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Marwin Gonzalez - LF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Jeff Mathis - C</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Charlie Morton - RHP</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Zack Greinke - RHP</td>
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<p id="GS5Hwv">A roster move was made before today’s game, with yesterday’s starter <span>Kris Medlen</span> being optioned back to Reno, and <span>Braden Shipley</span> brought up. This presumably rules Medlen out for the next time we need a #5 starter (either next Thursday or Saturday, depending on how they handle Monday’s off-day), since he would have to stay in the minors for at least 10 days before being recalled. Though that does not apply in the case of an injury, and as we all know, there are ways and means of working around that... Interesting that they are pulling up Shipley, presumably as long relief cover while <span>T.J. McFarland</span> recovers; that may suggest he is not on the list to start next time, though we’ll see how this goes. </p>
<p id="lVxrrI">I’m hopeful that today’s pitching match-up won’t be the most one-sided contest since the Battle of San Jacinto. [What, too soon?] <span>Charlie Morton</span> has been pretty good so far, to put it mildly, but then, <span>Zack Greinke</span> has been pretty awesome at Chase Field of late. And also in inter-league play: his team has won his last 7 home games there, dating back before he joined the D-backs to June 18, 2015. Over that time, he is 6-0 with a 1.19 ERA (7 ER in 53.0 IP), a .169 opponent average, 6 walks and 52 strikeouts. But we saw last night how good the <a href="https://www.crawfishboxes.com/">Astros</a>’ line-up is at taking advantage of any mistakes or weakness, with extreme ruthlessness. He’ll need to be on top form. </p>
<p id="37w1pY">We’ll see how many K’s the D-backs rack up. The previous team high was in 2010, when powered by <span>Mark Reynolds</span>’ 211 strikeouts, the team has 1,529 K’s. Through 32 games, they have struck out 308 times, putting them on pace to break that mark by 30. <span>Paul Goldschmidt</span> is currently on pace for a mind-blowing 223 K’s, This would tie Reynolds’ current all-time single-season mark for strikeouts, set in 2009. And Goldy isn’t even leading the majors: there are four players ahead of him, led by <span>Giancarlo Stanton</span> of the <a href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">Yankees</a>. All of them are scheduled to set a new record thus far, with Stanton forecast at a staggering 258, which would shatter Marky’s mark by 35. It’s truly the year of the K.</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2018/5/5/17323416/preview-33-5-5-vs-astrosJim McLennan