AZ Snake Pit - Game #61, June 6: Diamondbacks 4, Giants 5An unofficial Arizona Diamondbacks community and bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47033/azsnakepit_f.png2018-06-06T20:35:58-04:00http://www.azsnakepit.com/rss/stream/171982172018-06-06T20:35:58-04:002018-06-06T20:35:58-04:00Diamondbacks 4, Giants 5: Where’s the “dislike” button?
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<p>#FakeNews Paul Goldschmidt’s slide into home scored a key insurance run as the D-backs took two of thre.. Wait, what?</p> <p id="cwSrT6"><strong>Record: 32-29. Pace: 85-77. Change on 2017: -4.</strong></p>
<p id="tWDxrq">Today’s game was a Facebook-only one. This is the first time I have been compelled to follow one of these: the previous occasions, I simply haven’t bothered, but since I’m recapping... It was a bit of a mixed blessing. Once I figured out how to disable to the comments and, of course, mute Eric Byrnes, it wasn’t too bad. I just relied on the closed captions, and the lack of adverts was nice. However, the broadcasters seemed FAR too interested in non-game related stuff. I know what San Francisco looks like, and do not really need endless cutaways to shots of boats in the bay. Similarly, the commentary seemed to drift off-topic about every other pitch. Bearable, overall. Let’s not make a habit of it. </p>
<p id="uQIg7B">Onto the game itself, where Clay Buchholz started for Arizona. After the D-backs were unable to convert a double from Paul Goldschmidt, dug himself a hole by allowing a long (447 foot) home-run to the Obese Raccoon. The Giants threatened again in the second, with a one-out triple, but Buchholz was able to snuff out that threat, with back-to-back strikeouts retiring the bottom of the San Francisco order. The Diamondbacks then threatened again in the third, getting Jarrod Dyson and Paul Goldschmidt on base with one down, both men advancing on a wild pitch one out later. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Comes through right when you need him. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Desclutcho?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Desclutcho</a> <a href="https://t.co/GvyXaOT5Cj">pic.twitter.com/GvyXaOT5Cj</a></p>— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dbacks/status/1004470498296647680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2018</a>
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<p id="pjfFas">The visitors then caught a huge break. Daniel Descalso was up, and fouled a full-count pitch just behind and to the right of home plate. But Giants’ catcher Nick Hundley wasn’t able to corral the pop-up in the swirling wind, and it fell harmlessly to the turf. Descalso gratefully accepted the second chance, ripping a pitch to the wall in right (above) for a two-run double, and giving Arizona a 2-1 lead. Time for a shutdown inning from Buchholz. Or not... A four-pitch leadoff walk came around to score on an RBI double, tying the game back up. It required Clay to work around another Giant in scoring position, to escape the third without further damage, and keep the score a 2-2. </p>
<p id="Kmlpyo">After a scoreless fourth, the Diamondbacks regained the lead in the fifth. Dyson started it off with a single, and took second on a passed ball. He probably needn’t have bothered, as Goldschmidt got his third hit of the day, crushing a pitch to the base of the wall in center for an RBI double. A walk to Lamb ended the day of Giants’ starter Chris Stratton, still with no outs. A long fly-out by Descalso advanced both runners, but David Peralta waved futilely at some sliders down and away, striking out against a left-handed reliever. Chris Owings was intentionally walked to set up Alex Avila for a shot at redemption... Which went as well as the rest of his season: four pitches later, he was carrying his bat back to the dugout. </p>
<p id="5CHqkr">Buchholz delivered a zero, and the D-backs added to the lead courtesy of... take a wild stab in the dark. Yep, Goldschmidt. It was the same combo as before. Dyson walked, and this time stole second. But, again, he needn’t have bothered taking the base, as Paul doubled down the right-field line for the 12th four-hit game of his career, and first since April 25 last season. Arizona was almost able to add on, as Jake Lamb legged out an infield single into the shift. Goldschmidt tried to motor all the way round from second, but was allegedly thrown out at the plate, a dubious call with the subsequent review not supposedly able to provide the necessary clear and convincing evidence he was safe. This would matter.</p>
<p id="a1oiVS">The seventh inning stretch marked the end of Buchholz’s afternoon, and once again, there can be no real complaints about his performance. He went six innings, scattering seven hits and a walk, but also struck out seven. He wasn’t even lucky with BABIP today, going 6-for-16 there, giving him a BABIP of .375. He’s looking increasingly like a real steal. and it’s going to be hard to evict him from the rotation when Shelby Miller and Robbie Ray eventually return. From there, the next two innings unfolded more or less perfectly for the D-backs, with Yoshihisa Hirano and Archie Bradley putting up zeroes. The ball was then turned over to Brad Boxberger for the ninth. </p>
<p id="KiAIYN">He got the first two outs, around a walk, but then nemesis Alen Hansen swatted a ball over the wall in right field, for a game-tying homer. His velocity on the pitch was only 87 mph, and you have to wonder if it’s a result of him pitching three days in a row. It was only Boxberger’s second blown save of the season, but was a real heart-breaker - because I was <strong>really</strong> looking forward to logging off Facebook... Instead, it pushed us into extras, and the D-backs wasted an immediate opportunity in the 10th. Descalso walked, then advanced on a pair of wild pitches to be at third-base with one out. Unfortunately, Ketel Marte, pinch-hitting for Avila, did not better and struck out swinging, then Nick Ahmed popped out. </p>
<p id="2cNukP">At least the resulting, apparently inevitable, defeat didn’t drag on forever. Andrew Chafin came on to pitch the bottom of the tenth, and with two outs Andrew McCutchen launched a fly ball that Dyson <em>should</em> have snared in center, but seemed to lose in the sun. It bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double. With a base open, they could have walked the uber-hot Brandon Crawford, and brought in Fernando Salas - though he was having to warm up in a hurry, which suggest this development caught Torey Lovullo by surprise. Perhaps to gain time for Salas, rather that no-pitch IBBing Crawford, Chafin pitched to him. On a full count, Andrew left one in the zone, and a walk-off single to right ensued. </p>
<p id="e2bSKJ">There are certainly a lot of “what ifs?” here. You can level the blame at a variety of targets. Take your pick from the following:</p>
<ul>
<li id="9Ffd4S">The home-plate umpire for blowing the call on Goldy’s slide</li>
<li id="cVC4Gl">MLB for blowing the replay review of Goldy’s slide</li>
<li id="kypd4K">Boxberger for serving up a meatball on a two-run homer</li>
<li id="EnGqKI">Dyson for muffing the fly-ball</li>
<li id="IjlKqk">Chafin for pitching to Crawford</li>
<li id="u4RIFt">Lovullo for not hitting for Alex Avila with the bases loaded, among other things</li>
<li id="aNQnbK">Avila, because it’s a day ending in Y. </li>
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<p id="TAo8z9">There’s probably others. But there are positives to take out of this too, including Buchholz’s outing, against probably the best hitting team he has faced to date, and Goldschmidt being Goldschmidt. Onwards, ever onwards. Take the rest of the day off, folks...</p>
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<div id="vLMvip"><p style="text-align:center">Click for details <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/livewins.aspx?date=2018-06-06&team=Giants&dh=0&season=2018">at Fangraphs.com</a>
<br><b>YouTube: Daniel Descalso, +41.8%;</b>
<br>Reddit: Goldschmidt, +33.4%; Buchholz, +11.1%
<br><b><i>Google +: Brad Boxberger, -41.5%</i></b><i>
<br>MySpace: Chafin, -36.8%; Peralta, -22.9%; Marte -18.5%; Ahmed, -16.3%; Avila, -13.5%</i></p></div>
<p id="vTC2hG">Almost eight hundred comments, productivity clearly being impacted in certain sectors. Present were: AzDbackfanInDc, BobDolio, DBacksEurope, DORRITO, GuruB, Jackwriter, Jim McLennan, JoeCB1991, Makakilo, Michael McDermott, MikeMono, MrMrrbi, Renin, Xerostomia, coldblueAZ, david.munter, dzuch, frienetic, gamepass, hotclaws, kilnborn, lildbackfan21x, megnetic, onedotfive, rustynails77, samath, shoewizard, smartplays and suroeste. Comment of the game to smartplays:</p>
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<p id="b0vQaK">You can engage in a bit of scoreboard watching, as the Dodgers take on the Pirates, and the Rockies the Reds. Meanwhile, there’s a day-off tomorrow for the D-backs, and it’s then on to Colorado for the first time, where we’ll face (surprise!) the Rockies, beginning on Friday. </p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2018/6/6/17435652/arizona-diamondbacks-san-francisco-giants-recapJim McLennan2018-06-06T19:28:37-04:002018-06-06T19:28:37-04:00Arizona Diamondbacks 4, San Francisco Giants 5
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<figcaption>Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The D-backs were one out from winning the series. Then they weren’t. </p> <p id="HJ3OvM">It appears a trip to the spa by the bay of San Francisco was just what the doctor ordered for Paul Goldschmidt. After a three-hit game yesterday, he got his first four-hit outing in more than a year, but it wasn’t enough as the <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> lost two of three on the road from the <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a>. San Francisco took the lead in the first, on a <span>Pablo Sandoval</span> home-run, but Arizona took the lead on a two-run double by <span>Daniel Descalso</span>, coming after the Giants’ catcher dropped a foul ball. The home team came back to tie things up, only for RBI doubles from Goldschmidt in the fifth and sixth innings to push Arizona back ahead. </p>
<p id="srjEHc"><span>Clay Buchholz</span> had another solid outing, allowing two runs over six innings. He gave up sevne hits and a walk, but also struck out seven, throwing 92 pitches. The A-bullpen came on in relief, with <span>Yoshihisa Hirano</span> and <span>Archie Bradley</span> posting scoreless innings, but <span>Brad Boxberger</span> allowed a two-run, two-out homer to push us into the tenth. The sun then apparently caused Jarrod Dyson to miss a fly-ball in center, and a questionable decision to pitch to Brandon Crawford allowed him to deliver a walk-off single. <span>Chris Owings</span> had a hit and two walks, while Descalso, <span>Jarrod Dyson</span>, <span>Jake Lamb</span>, and <span>Nick Ahmed</span> all reached base safely twice, on a hit and a walk. </p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2018/6/6/17436194/arizona-diamondbacks-san-francisco-giants-scoreJim McLennan2018-06-06T15:00:03-04:002018-06-06T15:00:03-04:00Preview #61: 6/6 @ Giants
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<figcaption>Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>“Like” and “share” folks!</p> <div id="i5wghY">
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<h3>Today's Lineups</h3>
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<th align="left">ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS</th>
<th align="left">SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS</th>
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</thead>
<tbody>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Jarrod Dyson - CF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Joe Panik - 2B</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Paul Goldschmidt - 1B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Pablo Sandoval - 1B</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Jake Lamb - 3B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Andrew McCutchen - RF</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Daniel Descalso - 2B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Brandon Crawford - SS</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">David Peralta - LF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Evan Longoria - 3B</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Chris Owings - RF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Mac Williamson - LF</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Alex Avila - C</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Nick Hundley - C</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Nick Ahmed - SS</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Austin Jackson - CF</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Clay Buchholz - RHP</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Chris Stratton - RHP</td>
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<p id="XcQQli">Yes, not available on your regular networks today: it’s one of those pesky “Facebook only” games. Normally, I’d simply ignore it, and do something else instead - especially with it being a day game - but I am also your scheduled recapper today. Probably explains why Keegan was “unable” to cover this one. :) <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MLBLiveGames/">Here’s the link</a>. According to <a href="http://MLB.com">MLB.com</a>. “MLB Network will produce the game with play-by-play man Rich Waltz, analysts <span>Eric Byrnes</span> and Mike Krukow and in-game reporter Ashley Adamson.: Oh, yes: Eric Byrnes. It gets better, doesn’t it? Apparently, “D-backs fans will be familiar with Byrnes, who endeared himself to Arizona with his hustle and athleticism while manning the D-backs’ outfield from 2006-09.”</p>
<p id="mokagR">Uh, about that...</p>
<p id="eKlOcn">Anyway, <span>Clay Buchholz</span> starts for the <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a>, and we’ll see if he can continue his <em>Matrix</em>-like approach to pitching. By which I mean, allowing a ton of balls in play, but surprisingly few hits. After a pair of two-hit outings, last time against the <a href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Marlins</a> was actually the most encouraging outing, despite the seven hits allowed, as Buchholz struck out nine, compared to five over his his first two outings combined. That helped reduce his expected ERA (FIP) to 3.33: that is, however, still more than twice his <em>actual</em> ERA of 1.50. I am fairly confident in saying the latter figure will not be sustained. But if he continues to have outings with a K:BB of 9:1, he’ll probably be okay. </p>
<p id="sBN9TY">Hard to say who has the pitching edge in this one. The <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a>’ <span>Chris Stratton</span> has won his last four starts, though only one was a quality outing, the other three being “five and dive”, with an overall ERA in that quartet of 4.29, which doesn’t generally scream 4-0. But he did blank the <a href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Phillies</a> for six innings last time out, on four hits, with a K:BB of 7:1. The D-backs haven’t had a lot of luck, with a line of .185/.289/.277, over a total of 77 PAs; unsurprisingly, <span>Paul Goldschmidt</span> leads the pack with an .861 OPS. Only three Giants have faced Buchholz, but they have more PA in total: <span>Evan Longoria</span> in particular has the most experience, with 59 PA vs Clay, and a .722 OPS. </p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2018/6/6/17435208/preview-61-6-5-giantsJim McLennan