AZ Snake Pit - Game #27: 5/6, Diamondbacks 4, Rockies 1An unofficial Arizona Diamondbacks community and bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47033/azsnakepit_f.png2022-05-07T01:24:03-04:00http://www.azsnakepit.com/rss/stream/228245312022-05-07T01:24:03-04:002022-05-07T01:24:03-04:00Beercap/HappyHourCap: D-backs 4 Rockies 1
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<img alt="Los Angeles Dodgers v Arizona Diamondbacks" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/kLxLgv7icEYqqGqGO9tDnyflgyo=/0x0:5134x3423/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70842303/1393855271.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>We’re above 500!!!!</p> <p id="SVf6vt">Been a long, long, long week folks.</p>
<p id="oV0KC7">That makes this happy hour/beer time not only sought after, but needed.</p>
<p id="371Esy">So raise you glasses my fellow fans and be sure to buy your mom a drink as well (Mother’s Day on Sunday), and join me on this fun filled Friday as our Sneks take on the Rocks.</p>
<p id="m9Iy32"><strong>Inning 1</strong></p>
<ul>
<li id="3hu5Ku">Merrill Kelly, who’s started out the season VERY WELL, gives up a single and then a 2-out double to our old buddy Cron (I still pronounce it in the Conan the Barbarian way: Crom). Not a great way to start out the 1st, but Cron does have a hot bat, and the night is still very young. 0-1 Rocks after a McMahon can-o-corn to right field. Meh.</li>
<li id="6jy3rV">Happy hour started today with a couple excellent hazy IPAs with my lovely wife at our fave taproom; Wandering Tortoise. Now though I’ve switch gears to an excellent ole fashioned, which I hope (since it’s huge) will last much of this game....let us hope.</li>
</ul>
<p id="1w4iV7">Kuhl for the Rockies has also had an excellent start to the young season, and shows some of his tricks against our confusing offense here in the 1st despite issuing a walk to Pavin Smith. </p>
<p id="K1xL3j">0-1 Rocks going in to the 2nd.</p>
<p id="TCXp28"><strong>Inning 2</strong></p>
<ul>
<li id="CluIkT">Back to back walks further mar Kelly’s outing, but thankfully we get out of this inning without any further runs. Kelly’s gotta clean things up though and start attacking the zone more or this will be a short night for him.</li>
<li id="Le0kw2">Rojas, gone for a while with an injury, gets right back on track in the 2nd with a single to lead off the inning. Welcome back Rojas! Marte, still trying to find his groove this season, moves Rojas to 3rd with a clutch double and we got Sneks on 3rd and 2nd with no outs!</li>
</ul>
<p id="HJMEkH">Beer! It wasn’t a glorious homer but I’ll take the RBI flyout to right to get us on the board though. Still not quite sure why Seth has yet to buy the #30 for his jersey...</p>
<p id="uUYfoM">A couple more good fights at the plate from Ahmed and Herrera but no more runs, so we’re going in to the 3rd tied at 1-1. </p>
<p id="HxlhqA"><strong>Inning 3</strong></p>
<ul>
<li id="PXpEdh">Merrill appears to have calmed down here in the 3rd, and it looks like the strike zone that’s eluded him is very much back in his wheelhouse. Still tied going in to the bottom of the 3rd after a relatively uneventful 3rd.</li>
<li id="PG2GET">C Walk teases us on what sure looked like a homer on camera, but was just under the porch in dead center....sigh.......</li>
</ul>
<p id="E73FL4">Off to the 4th we are still tied 1-1</p>
<p id="DZOw7B"><strong>Inning 4</strong></p>
<ul><li id="6untX6">Nothing doing for either team in the 4th as both sides go 1-2-3 in various ways. Maybe I’ll get a close or quick game after all?</li></ul>
<p id="8ZZPfb"><strong>Inning 5</strong></p>
<ul>
<li id="OXN8RI">Kelly’s still doing work here in the 5th and boy has he settled in nicely. Kinda gives a fan a vague sense of hope for the rest of the season, but us Dbacks fans know that hope is a fickle thing.</li>
<li id="08BNi3">Not much to write about in the bottom of the 5th, outside of Herrera improving upon his irksome BA with a 1-out single, though nothing besides that. So we’re off to the 6th STILL tied 1-1.</li>
</ul>
<p id="HMmBTu"><strong>Inning 6</strong></p>
<ul>
<li id="gieA6x">Kelly racks up 2 more Ks and a Cron ground out to end yet another solid frame. He aint Nolan Ryan, but Kelly is looking very very solid. After taking down the last 13 batters you earn that kind of praise.</li>
<li id="Ls8feB">Our bats on the other hand are looking anemic. Mind you, they’re not as bad as week one of the season, but they still got a long way to go.</li>
</ul>
<p id="0RbMDH"><strong>Inning 7</strong></p>
<ul>
<li id="ix4cGC">Kelly’s perfect-ish night slows down a bit after he strikes out Blackmon to start the 7th as Grichuk gets a blooper single to drop just in to left field. That’s all he’ll allow though, and despite that slight blemish he’s retired 15 out of the last 17 he’s faced. 1-1 going in to the 8th.</li>
<li id="xakKSR">Kuhl’s night is done, but Stephenson fills his shoes quite well sending down the Dbacks for another 1-2-3 inning. Bleh. Thankfully this old fashioned is making up for the lack of excitement this game.</li>
<li id="B67bTO"><strong>Inning 8</strong></li>
<li id="0FC076">Wow. Despite a leadoff double Merrill will not be denied the glory he’s due. 10 pitches and we’re off to the the bottom of the 9th. Wow</li>
<li id="COZReo">Varsho comes through once more! A one out solo shot puts us on top and here we go folks!</li>
</ul>
<p id="tUfJub">After a Pavin Smith single it’s Peralta who pours on the fun with a 2 run blast not to far from where Varsho deposited his. Now we’re 4-1 Dbacks and suddenly I think I might be due a celebratory pour of an expensive bourbon.</p>
<p id="aYaXB7"><strong>Inning 9</strong></p>
<ul><li id="Dfv42p">Merrill Kelly’s is allowed the well earned chance to close this game out. </li></ul>
<p id="W09zUv">He strikes out the 1st two Rocks, but after allowing two back to back singles after that, his magnificent night is done.</p>
<p id="vdMcCB">Melancon comes in to close things things out, and despite giving up a walk he’s able to close things out and lo and behold we’re a above 500 team. Wow, just wow.</p>
<p id="o8IWID">Cheers all!</p>
<h4 id="ysGUmQ">Bells, whistles and post-game audio, by Jim and Jack</h4>
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<p style="text-align:center"><a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/livewins.aspx?date=2022-05-06&team=Diamondbacks&dh=0&season=2022">Click for details</a> at Fangraphs.com
<br><b>Eiffel Tower: Merrill Kelly, +43.7%</b>
<br>Empire State Building: Daulton Varsho +20.9%
<br><b><i>Mud hut: Nick Ahmed, -11.2%</i></b></p>
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<p id="MAjpTx">Just the one Sedona Red comment, but it's probably an early candidate for Premature Ejaculation of the season...</p>
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<p id="Rq4I2Y">SafeTwire389, you missed the best pitched game by a Diamondback since Tyler Gilbert's no-hitter. It took the D-backs above .500: they'd be second in the NL East. Here are the postgame comments from Torey Lovullo, Merrill Kelly and Daulton Varsho:</p>
<p id="0yfj8y"><a href="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23444217/Wetzel_s_Pretzels.mp3">Torey Lovullo</a> </p>
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<p id="D67hRJ"><a href="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23444235/Chase_Field_102.mp3">Merrill Kelly</a></p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hear from the man of the night.<a href="https://twitter.com/Mert_723?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Mert_723</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/Dbacks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Dbacks</a> <a href="https://t.co/X5pQOvtomC">pic.twitter.com/X5pQOvtomC</a></p>— Bally Sports Arizona (@BALLYSPORTSAZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/BALLYSPORTSAZ/status/1522798241242308608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2022</a>
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<p id="hQcNDy"><a href="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23444229/Chase_Field_101.mp3">Daulton Varsho</a> </p>
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<p id="eohiOG">Same two teams at it tomorrow, with a 5:10 pm first pitch, and Zach Davies on the mound for the Diamondbacks. </p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2022/5/7/23060616/beercap-happyhourcap-d-backs-4-rockies-1Turambar2022-05-06T21:30:00-04:002022-05-06T21:30:00-04:00Gameday Thread, #27: 5/6 vs. Rockies
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<img alt="FRANCE-PARIS-SNOW" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BizJpcPYf3np9iuXMUK34n6xG-c=/0x2:3500x2335/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70842004/915416486.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Xinhua/Chen Yichen via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>On this day in 1889, the Eiffel Tower is officially opened to the public at the Universal Exposition in Paris.</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2022/5/6/23060494/gameday-thread-27-5-6-vs-rockiesJim McLennan2022-05-06T20:00:00-04:002022-05-06T20:00:00-04:00Diamondbacks Game Preview #27: Diamondbacks vs. Rockies
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<img alt="Los Angeles Dodgers v Arizona Diamondbacks" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/O7SM4pc0UgUkZPWheYlf5qucdo8=/0x0:2647x1765/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70841877/1393854140.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Hello, Colorado. Feel free to suck again, now April has ended. </p> <div id="WqeMP7">
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<h3>Today's Lineups</h3>
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<th align="left">ROCKIES</th>
<th align="left">DIAMONDBACKS</th>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Connor Joe - LF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Daulton Varsho - CF</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Charlie Blackmon - DH</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Pavin Smith - RF</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Randal Grichuk - RF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">David Peralta - LF</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">C.J. Cron - 1B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Christian Walker - 1B</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Ryan McMahon - 3B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Josh Rojas - 3B</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Elias Diaz - C</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Ketel Marte - 2B</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Brendan Rodgers - 2B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Seth Beer - DH</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Sam Hilliard - CF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Nick Ahmed - SS</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Jose Iglesias - SS</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Carson Kelly - C</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name"></td>
<td class="td-first td-name"></td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Chad Kuhl - RHP</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Merrill Kelly - RHP</td>
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<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="WugDkh">
<h4 id="dnvst7">Roster moves</h4>
<p id="VHd4o2">The <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Arizona Diamondbacks</a> made the following roster moves:</p>
<ul>
<li id="8qgLmo">Reinstated RHP Mark Melancon from the injured list.</li>
<li id="FGIenH">Reinstated INF Josh Rojas (strained right oblique) from the 10-day injured list.</li>
<li id="LYoHHP">Designated INF Sergio Alcántara for assignment.</li>
<li id="0NrWoo">Optioned RHP Corbin Martin to Triple-A Reno yesterday.</li>
</ul>
<p id="TsTLiW">Hey, I’m back. It was a pleasant enough trip across to Scotland, though Mrs. S still found it too chilly for her liking. Thanks in particular to James and Jack for keeping things ticking over in my absence. I really did not expect to come back and find the D-backs with a shot at climbing on top of Mt. .500 once again, having gone 7-3 against the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a>, Cardinals and Marlins. We’ll see if it lasts. You don’t need a long memory to remember last season, where the team started off 15-13, before going belly up as the rotation turned into an episode of <em>Gray’s Anatomy</em>. So far, that hasn’t happened, but the fact the team has been outscored by 17 runs definitely makes me nervous. </p>
<p id="ycDjz3">However, if there’s any team which is historically likely to get off to a hot start, it may be the Rockies. Since the start of the 2011 season, Colorado ranks overall 27th for win percentage in the majors at .460 (Arizona are 20th at .479). But through the end of April? The Rockies, <strong>shoot up twenty spots</strong>, having been the seventh-best team in the majors, with a win percentage of .525. That’s the result of seasons like 2011, where they began the year going 17-8, only to be 56-81 the rest of rest of the way. However, things have changed of late. Indeed, you have to go back to 2017 to find the last time Colorado’s W% in April was <em>better</em> than their overall figure. Things have been more like last season, where they started off 9-17.</p>
<p id="5NZhpX">Looking at the schedule so far though, that streak could be coming to an end. So far, only three of their 25 games have been within the buzz-saw which is the NL West, where every team is currently at or above .500. They are ranked <a href="http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/BBNUk">26th in the majors</a> for strength of schedule so far, compared to Arizona’s third (the toughest in the National League), but still have been outscored by their opponents, 120-129. Baseball Prospectus’s <em>PECOTA Standings</em>, which take those kind of things into account, <a href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/standings/">currently project them</a> to finish last in the West with only 71.5 wins. I would definitely be extremely surprised if they can maintain their .571 April W% the rest of the way.</p>
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<a href="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23443788/Chase_Field_100.mp3">Torey Lovullo audio</a> </h4>
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<h4 id="izkLSe">Torey Lovullo notes</h4>
<p id="6g9fQ9"><strong>Corbin Martin</strong> Optioned to Reno: He was chosen to send out because he just threw and he’s stretched out. They believe his future in the organization is as a starter, so they want him to continue that development. But he may be recalled to either relieve or start as the need arises. </p>
<p id="UwtXXv"><strong>Sergio Alcantara DFA:</strong> This was a tough call and they had many meetings on this. Ultimately they were prioritizing defense and they clearly felt <strong>Geraldo Perdomo</strong> has been standing out on the defensive end. </p>
<p id="GAcZsa">Perdomo will play “at least 4 days a week”, and Torey ascertained that was enough. <strong>Josh Rojas</strong> is not going to play every day, nor is <strong>Nick Ahmed</strong>, and <strong>Ketel Marte</strong> needs days off as well. Torey would not say whether Rojas’ days off would come against lefties, who Rojas hit well last year. He’ll be more focused on when Josh’s body needs a day off. </p>
<p id="MT0vT5"><strong>Mark Melancon:</strong> Torey said he does not have the luxury of easing Melancon back in, as the bullpen is gassed. If there is a save opportunity tonight he’ll be the closer. He threw two or three times while he was on the IL. He played catch every day. </p>
<p id="JGzkA2"><strong>Madison Bumgarner:</strong> Torey would not share his thoughts on the ejection from Dan Bellino. He did indicate that Bumgarner will not be moved up in the rotation due to the short outing, He is likely to stay in turn, but they have not made final decision. Humberto Castellanos lines up for Monday May 9th game against the Marlins, and Bumgarner’s next turn would come on next Tuesday if they don’t change. </p>
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https://www.azsnakepit.com/2022/5/6/23060500/diamondbacks-game-preview-27-diamondbacks-vs-rockiesJim McLennanJack Sommers