AZ Snake Pit - Game #41, Diamondbacks vs. BravesAn unofficial Arizona Diamondbacks community and bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47033/azsnakepit_f.png2013-05-15T21:25:42-04:00http://www.azsnakepit.com/rss/stream/40983512013-05-15T21:25:42-04:002013-05-15T21:25:42-04:00Braves 3, Diamondbacks 5: Struggles and Doubles
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<img alt="Heath Bell earned his sixth save of the season." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2ZJWBrG5KAow4LzpR2tpNtUYwGE=/0x66:4000x2733/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/13203891/168628384.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Heath Bell earned his sixth save of the season. | Christian Petersen</figcaption>
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<p>Ian Kennedy fought his way through five innings of work this afternoon, and he was rescued by Paul Goldschmidt and Eric Chavez going a combined 5-for-8. Kennedy earned the win for the first time since Opening Day, and the Diamondbacks won the series.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><b>Record: 23-18. Pace: 91-71. Change on 2012: +5</b></p>
<p>It was A Tale of Two <span>Ian Kennedy</span>s this afternoon at Chase Field. Kennedy retired the first eight <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Braves</a> in a row with four strikeouts when <span>Jordan Schafer</span> and <span>Andrelton Simmons</span> hit infield singles (one of which should really be an error on Chavez) with two outs in the third inning. Kennedy then walked <span>Justin Upton</span> on four pitches and followed that up with a four-pitch walk to <span>Freddie Freeman</span> to walk in Atlanta's first run. He almost walked the next batter too, but <span>Brian McCann</span> popped up a 3-1 pitch for the third out. Kennedy had been at 33 pitches after two innings; he was nearly double that, at 59, after three.</p>
<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> had scored one run in the first inning on a two-out double by <span>Paul Goldschmidt</span> and a RBI single by <span>Eric Chavez</span>, so it was only tied at one apiece after the third. Kennedy had a 1-2-3 fourth inning, but the Braves took the lead in the fifth. Schafer reached on a bunt that <span>Martin Prado</span> threw away and he ended up at second base. (Out of the four hits that Kennedy had allowed to this point, three of them didn't leave the infield.) With two out, Upton reached on his second walk of the afternoon. With first base open, that might have been somewhat of a pitch-around, but Freeman made Kennedy pay by lacing a double to the left-center wall and driving in both runners for a 3-1 Braves lead.</p>
<p>Arizona then scored more runs in their half of the fifth inning than they had the previous two games combined. It started with a one-out walk to <span>Jason Kubel</span> (pinch hitting for Kennedy, who finished with 5IP, 3ER, 3BB, and 7K) and an infield single by <span>Gerardo Parra</span>. <span>Didi Gregorius</span> singled up the middle to score Kubel, and Parra stopped at second base. Goldschmidt then K'd on a strike that was most definitely outside for the second out. <span>Tim Hudson</span> had two strikes on former teammate Chavez and it looked like he would escape with the lead, but Chavvy went down and took one the opposite way, driving a ball to the left-center gap that made it look like <span>B.J. Upton</span> was running in slow motion out in the field. Both runners scored, and Arizona led 4-3. <span>Cody Ross</span> singled down the right field line to bring in Chavez for the 5-3 lead. Hudson, who had been dealing, was also done after five innings.</p>
<p>After that, the Diamondbacks bullpen performed just as it was built to do. Though it wasn't without a little drama, <span>Matt Reynolds</span>, <span>Brad Ziegler</span>, David Hernandez, and <span>Heath Bell</span> each pitched a scoreless inning of work. Kennedy earned the win, Bell the save, and the Diamondbacks took two of three to win the series against the Atlanta Braves.</p>
<p align="center"><iframe src="http://www.fangraphs.com/graphframe.aspx?config=0&static=550618&type=livewins&num=0&h=450&w=450&date=2013-05-15&team=Diamondbacks&dh=0" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" height="450" width="450" style="border:1px solid black;"></iframe><br><span style="font-size:9pt;">Source: <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/livewins.aspx?date=2013-05-15&team=Diamondbacks&dh=0&season=2013">FanGraphs</a></span></p>
<p>No GDT comment counts or COTD today, due to SBNation's networking issues. The team now flies to the east coast for three against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Marlins</a> then back west for three in Colorado.</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2013/5/15/4335092/braves-3-diamondbacks-5-ian-kennedy-struggles-paul-goldschmidt-doublessnakecharmer2013-05-15T18:49:44-04:002013-05-15T18:49:44-04:00Braves 3, Dbacks 5
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<figcaption>Norm Hall</figcaption>
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<p>The Diamondbacks figured out how to somewhat neutralize Justin Upton: just walk him. Though he was on base three of his five plate appearances, he only scored once and didn't drive in any. Arizona's offense scored five runs in support of Ian Kennedy, who struggled with his command but earned the win.</p> <p>It was a #GoldschmidtDoubles kind of afternoon at Chase Field. He doubled in the first inning and scored on an <span>Eric Chavez</span> single to give Arizona a 1-0 lead. But the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.talkingchop.com/">Braves</a> tied it up when <span>Ian Kennedy</span> struggled with his command in the third inning. He walked <span>Justin Upton</span> to load the bases, then walked <span>Freddie Freeman</span> to bring in the tying run.</p>
<p>After a solid start, Kennedy would only go five innings, walking three but striking out seven Braves. Arizona gave Ian the win by scoring four runs in the fifth inning off of <span>Tim Hudson</span>. Didi Gregorius drove in one, Chavez two, and <span>Cody Ross</span> another. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> scored more runs in that inning than they did the previous two games against Atlanta.</p>
<p>The Diamondbacks bullpen did its job: <span>Matt Reynolds</span>, <span>Brad Ziegler</span>, David Hernandez, and <span>Heath Bell</span> for four lockdown innings. Arizona takes two of three from the Braves.</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2013/5/15/4334874/braves-3-diamondbacks-5snakecharmer2013-05-15T14:17:42-04:002013-05-15T14:17:42-04:00Preview: Crossing Hudson
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SEdbTbhcjQa-u5N968W9QNM9jz8=/0x66:4000x2733/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/13185543/168530099.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Christian Petersen</figcaption>
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<p>Much better performance from our pitchers last night, allowi9ng Arizona to even the series. Can they take the finale this afternoon, and with it win the set?</p> <p>
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<br><span>Tim Hudson</span><br>RHP, 4-2, 4.70</h4>
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<br><span>Ian Kennedy</span><br>RHP, 1-3, 4.83<br>
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<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> Line-up</h4>
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<li> <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Gerardo Parra</span></span>, RF<span class="sbn-auto-link"></span> </li>
<li> <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Didi Gregorius</span></span>, SS</li>
<li> <span>Paul Goldschmidt</span>, 1B</li>
<li> <span>Eric Chavez</span>, 3B <span class="sbn-auto-link"></span> </li>
<li> <span class="sbn-auto-link"></span><span>Cody Ross</span>, LF</li>
<li> <span>Miguel Montero</span>, C</li>
<li> <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Martin Prado</span></span>,2B</li>
<li> <span>A.J. Pollock</span>, CF</li>
<li>Ian Kennedy, P</li>
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<p>This afternoon's game marks an end to the first quarter of the season. We'll be writing about how things have gone in more detail tomorrow, but I'm cautiously optimistic. The team has had their fair share of injuries - right now, 20% of the "ideal" 25-man roster are on the DL, including our closer, starting center-fielder and the man who led the team in fWAR last season, but if the season ended right now, the Diamondbacks would be half-a-game out of a wild-card spot. There's room for improvement, no question about that - but so far, it seems like the roster constructed by Kevin Towers has held its own.</p>
<p>Taking this series would be a tangible moral victory, especially after the pounding we endured in the opening game of the series (I have had rather good luck with swapping recaps this season, and was VERY happy to have missed that one!). The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.talkingchop.com/">Braves</a> have the second-best record in the league, and Arizona had performed acceptably against those, going 11-13 against teams at or above .500. That's the same pace as last season, when we went 38-45: the improvement in overall record has really been because we have done a number on losing teams, going 11-5 against them to date.</p>
<p>That won't help us this afternoon, and Hudson has owned the Diamondbacks of late. The last time he didn't get the W when starting against us? Try <a target="_blank" href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ARI/ARI200507220.shtml">July 2005</a>. Since then, he has gone 5-0, allowing two earned runs in 38 innings, for a 0.47 ERA. Arizona has been outscored in those five games by a combined margin of <u>38-3</u>. None of this bodes well for this afternoon, but Hudson has been vulnerable this year. His current ERA+ of 83 is easily a career high: only once has it been below 110. That seems especially true away from Turner Field, where his ERA is 6.97, more than four runs higher than at home.</p>
<p>Still, his reputation suggests the Diamondbacks should proceed with caution, rather than expecting to smack him around. Not that the offense has been doing much smacking around of <i>anyone</i> on this home-stand. If Hudson really want to shut us down, he should start off each inning by hitting a batter, then throw a deliberate wild pitch, so the runner moves up into scoring position. That'll put us where he wants us, because it's when we've been all but completely incompetent. It's a pattern that I feel has to break at some point, and the 44-point gap in BA between bases empty and RISP will start to close. This afternoon would be a nice time for it.</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2013/5/15/4333746/diamondbacks-braves-previewJim McLennan