AZ Snake Pit - Game #105, Diamondbacks 0, Padres 1An unofficial Arizona Diamondbacks community and bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47033/azsnakepit_f.png2013-07-28T19:22:09-04:00http://www.azsnakepit.com/rss/stream/43296092013-07-28T19:22:09-04:002013-07-28T19:22:09-04:00Diamondbacks 0, Padres 1: A tale of two triples
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<figcaption>Christian Petersen</figcaption>
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<p>The Padres tripled and brought their runner home. The Diamondbacks tripled and left him there. That was the difference in the game this afternoon, as a fine start by Patrick Corbin was wasted. </p> <h4>Record: 54-51. Pace: 83-79. Change: 0</h4>
<p>It seems like the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> tend to struggle out of the gate after the All-Star break. Last season, a sweep at the hands of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> in Chicago more or less killed any realistic hopes of the division, sending us 6.5 games back. This year has been no better, as we have yet to win a series, in three attempts, with an overall record of 4-6 in the first 10 contests after the lay-off. There's been no particular consistent reason: we've had losses where the starting pitcher hasn't been good, and ones like today, where the offense just hasn't got it going. This was our first shutout at home since August 24 last year: oddly, also against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.gaslampball.com/">Padres</a>, with <span>Patrick Corbin</span> on the mound.</p>
<p>The difficult third out in the first proved Corbin's downfall. With two down, he allowed a triple, and an RBI single gave the Padres the lead. In the second, he also gave up two-out hits to the #8 + 9 San Diego hitters, though escaped further damage. He settled down with a quick and clean third, and it looked like the Diamondbacks would tie things up after <span>Cliff Pennington</span> led off with a triple into the right-field corner. However, Corbin flew out to left, just too shallow for Pennington to risk it - had they known Adam Eaton would ground out to the infield (albeit after missing a bloop double by inches) and <span>Aaron Hill</span> strike out, they might have risked it. Ah, the joys of hindsight.</p>
<p>Corbin continued with a solid outing, keeping the Padres off the board and at one point retired 14 of 15 batters faced. He got through eight innings on 103 pitches, scattering six hits, but the triple was the only one for extra bases. He walked none and struck out eight, reducing his ERA for the season to 2.24. The loss was only his second of the season, with his record now 12-2: in those two defeats, the Diamondbacks have scored a total of one run in support of Corbin. He deserved better: the Game Score posted of 74 was his fourth-<u>best</u> of the year. Only one D-backs pitcher since April 2009 has had a better score, and taken the loss [<span>Wade Miley</span> got a 76 <a target="_blank" href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/TEX/TEX201206130.shtml">last June</a>].</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the Diamondbacks offense proved less capable still, struggling to do anything against <span>Tyson Ross</span>. Even the normally mild-mannered <span>Paul Goldschmidt</span> seemed frustrated, as shown above, firing his equipment into the dugout after a first inning strikeout [he's 2-for-20 with nine strikeouts over the past five games]. Ross's slider in particular gave the Diamondbacks fits, with some ugly swings and misses at pitches out of the strike-zone, especially those batting from the left-hand side, like <span>Gerardo Parra</span> and <span>Miguel Montero</span>. Through Ross's eight innings, we had only three hits, Pennington's triple and a single, plus a Chavez single, and a walk to <span>A.J. Pollock</span>.</p>
<p>Ross finally left for the ninth, and with Aaron Hill, Goldschmidt and <span>Eric Chavez</span> up, there was still some hope, if we could get things together in an "anyone but Ross" way. However, that trio went down meekly in order, and Arizona were shutout at Chase for the first time this year, putting up a zero for the third time in total. Our hitters went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and fanned eight times. If there is a plus to be taken from this game, it's that it wasn't a long, drawn-out defeat. At two hours and 15 minutes, it was the quickest game of the season so far, beating the 2-1 loss in San Diego on June 14, by a couple of minutes. So, you've got the rest of the day off.</p>
<p align="center"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.fangraphs.com/livewins.aspx?date=2013-07-28&team=Diamondbacks&dh=0&season=2013"><img alt="20130728_padres_diamondbacks_0_20130728182948_live_medium" class="photo" src="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1728151/20130728_Padres_Diamondbacks_0_20130728182948_live_medium.png"></a><br>[<i>Click to enlarge, at fangraphs.com</i>]<br><b>Man of Steel: Patrick Corbin: +33.1%</b><br>Monsters University: Cliff Pennington, +12.4%<br><i><b>The Lone Ranger: Adam Eaton, -20.4%</b><br>White House Down: Hill, -18.3%; Goldschmidt, -13.1%; Parra, -10.8%</i></p>
<p>TolkienBard led the commentators in a largely disinterested Gameday Thread - the stranded triple seemed to be irrefutable proof that this was not going to be our day. azshadowwalker and BulldogsNotZags filled out the top three, with others taking part as follows: Clefo, FatBoysEatMeat, GuruB, Jim McLennan, Marc Fournier, blank_38, cheese1213, coldblueAZ, hotclaws, marionette, onedotfive, piratedan7, preston.salisbury, rd33, snakecharmer and soco. Comment of the day goes to Marc, for his sardonic comment, related to the ever-increasing plethora of cable channels:</p>
<p><span class="cactions mod "> <span id="comment_mod_tools_175510785" class="tools actions_link"> </span> </span></p>
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<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Marc%20Fournier" class="avatar" id="comment_avatar_175511017"> <img src="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/profile_images/573530/HL_small.png" alt="Marc Fournier"></a> <span class="collapse_toggle collapse_toggle_button"></span>
<h2 class="title collapse_toggle" id="comment_title_175511017"><a id="comment_175511017">Forgot this existed</a></h2>
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<p>Too busy watching <span class="caps">FOX</span> Party Peanuts, <span class="caps">FOX</span> Scooter, <span class="caps">FOX</span> Yardball, and <span class="caps">FOX</span> Internal Communications Edu.</p>
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<p>Wear your own fur.</p>
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<div class="meta">by <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Marc%20Fournier" class="poster">Marc Fournier</a> on <a href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/2013/7/28/4565808/gameday-thread-105-7-28-vs-padres/in/4329609#175511017" class="date">Jul 28, 2013 | 2:10 PM</a> <a class="up_link" href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/2013/7/28/4565808/gameday-thread-105-7-28-vs-padres/in/4329609#comment_item_175510447">up</a> <a href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/2013/7/28/4565808/gameday-thread-105-7-28-vs-padres/in/4329609#comment_tease" class="reply_link" title="reply to this comment" data-comment-id="175511017" id="comment_reply_175511017">reply</a> <span class="cactions mod "> <a id="rec_link_175511017" class="recommend rec-link " href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/2013/7/28/4565808/gameday-thread-105-7-28-vs-padres/in/4329609#">rec <span class="rec-count" id="comment_rec-count_175511017"> (2) </span> </a> <a id="flag_link_175511017" class="flag flag-link flag_link " href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/2013/7/28/4565808/gameday-thread-105-7-28-vs-padres/in/4329609#"> flag </a> <a href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/2013/7/28/4565808/gameday-thread-105-7-28-vs-padres/in/4329609#" id="actions_link" class="actions_toggle">actions</a></span>
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.redreporter.com/">Reds</a> are still locked up at zero, and are heading into extra innings, so we may be 1.5 or 2.5 games back, depending on what happens there. The home-stand ends a disappointing 3-4, and after tomorrow's off-day we now face a tough road-trip, through Tampa (two games) and Boston (three), with a bonus make-up game in Texas between those two series. Hard to remain optimistic in the face of that, if we play the inconsistent level of baseball we've provided since the break.</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2013/7/28/4566172/diamondbacks-padres-patrick-corbinJim McLennan2013-07-28T18:30:05-04:002013-07-28T18:30:05-04:00Diamondbacks 0, Padres 1
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<figcaption>Montero strikes out. No, really! | Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sport</figcaption>
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<p>Patrick Corbin pitched very well, but unfortunately, Tyson Ross pitched even better, as the Diamondbacks were blanked on three hits, to lose the game and the series at Chase Field this afternoon.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.gaslampball.com/">Padres</a> scored their run in the first: <span>Patrick Corbin</span> got the first two outs, but then allowed a pair of base hits, to give San Diego the lead. But that was all the visitors got against our starter, as he then settled down, working seven additional innings without any further damage. Corbin allowed six hits and no walks, with eight strikeouts, in another excellent start that lowered his season ERA to 2.24, fourth-best in the National League. <span>Brad Ziegler</span> pitched a scoreless ninth for Arizona, to keep it a one-run game.</p>
<p>However, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> had even less success against <span>Tyson Ross</span>. Their best chance to tie things up, came in the third when <span>Cliff Pennington</span> tripled to lead things off. However, a shallow fly-ball, ground-out to second and strikeout that followed left him stranded there. Arizona got only one man past first-base the rest of the way - and there weren't that many reaching first-base to begin with, as the offense produced only three hits and a walk. The D-backs still haven't won a series since before the All-Star break, and now hit the road for six tough road games against Tampa,. Texas and Boston. We will need to play much better.</p>
<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> are currently scoreless against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.redreporter.com/">Reds</a>, so we may hold on at 1.5 games back. Or we may not. Stay tuned.</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2013/7/28/4566126/diamondbacks-padres-recapJim McLennan2013-07-28T14:30:05-04:002013-07-28T14:30:05-04:00Preview: Roe up, Skaggs down
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<p>Rubber game of the Padres series, and the always-reliable Patrick Corbin takes the mound for the Diamondbacks. I hope I haven't cursed him.</p> <p>
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<br><span>Tyson Ross</span><br>RHP, 1-4, 3.35<br>
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<br><span>Patrick Corbin</span><br>LHP, 12-1, 2.31</h5>
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<span class="sbn-auto-link"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a></span> line-up</h4>
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<li> <span>Adam Eaton</span>, CF </li>
<li> <span>Aaron Hill</span>, 2B </li>
<li> <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Paul Goldschmidt</span></span>, 1B</li>
<li> <span>Eric Chavez</span>, 3B</li>
<li> <span>Jason Kubel</span>, LF</li>
<li> <span>Miguel Montero</span>, C</li>
<li> <span>Gerardo Parra</span>, RF</li>
<li> <span>Cliff Pennington</span>, SS</li>
<li> Patrick Corbin, P</li>
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<p>Despite Gibby's comments yesterday, no day off for Goldschmidt - instead, it's <span>Martin Prado</span> who gets to take a breather for the day, with Eric Chavez continuing his run of games, with another right-handed pitcher on the mound. Anyone want to bet on whether Chavez will be able to make it the rest of the season at this pace without breaking? This will be his 36th time written into the line-up card in the field, on pace for 56. He hasn't had that many non-DH games since 2007, and there's a pretty good reason for that. I hope we kept the receipt. Failing that, I guess there's always the shiny new toy, <span>Matt Davidson</span>, to unwrap.</p>
<p>The other roster move, as noted by Clefo in the recap, is the rapid optioning of Tyler Skaggs back to Reno - that didn't take long, did it? for now, his spot will be used to provide an extra bullpen arm, in the shape of Chaz Roe. However, that will only be for a few days, as the plan is to bring <span>Brandon McCarthy</span> back off the DL when Skaggs' spot in the rotation next comes up, which I think is scheduled to be on the East-coast trip against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Red Sox</a>, though don't quote me on that.</p>
<p>Skaggs' latest stint was inconsistent, shall we say: like his first time up, his debut was so good you wondered if he'd ever go back down. But subsequent performances demonstrated exactly why he was in the minors to start with. His last three outings had a combined line of 13 ER in 14 innings, with a K:BB ratio of 14:8, and an opponent's line of .305/.400/.525. Counterpoint: Tyler turned 22 this month. When Patrick Corbin turned 22, our current staff ace was pitching in Double-A Mobile, and putting up a largely uninteresting 4.21 ERA. Writing Skaggs off, as some appear to be doing, would seem premature, though the drop in velocity we've seen is certainly concerning.</p>
<p>I wonder if <span>Zeke Spruill</span> might get the next shot, if we need another starter. As John reported earlier this morning, Spruill has been almost unhittable for the Aces of late, not allowing a run in his last four starts, which is damn impressive, considering the league in which he pitches. And speaking of Corbin, there was a <a target="_blank" href="http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/9513829/patrick-corbin-become-arizona-diamondbacks-unlikely-ace">largely glowing piece</a> on ESPN.com about him, calling him "Arizona's savior" - I particularly liked the paragraph entitled "Slider from hell." :) Nate Shroyer is scheduled to be your guest recapper today, though I'm awaiting a confirmation on that. Otherwise, it'll be me, in between chowing down since we're having a family gathering for Mrs. SnakePit's birthday.</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2013/7/28/4565420/diamondbacks-padres-previewJim McLennan