AZ Snake Pit - Game #10: 4/16, Arizona Diamondbacks 7, San Francisco Giants 6An unofficial Arizona Diamondbacks community and bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47033/azsnakepit_f.png2015-04-17T08:09:03-04:00http://www.azsnakepit.com/rss/stream/82009702015-04-17T08:09:03-04:002015-04-17T08:09:03-04:00D-Backs 7, Giants 6: Extra Inning Madness
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<figcaption>Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Paul Goldschmidt and Archie Bradley were pretty good tonight. Then things got weird, but the D-backs still won.</p> <p><b>Record: 5-5. Pace: 81-81. Change over last year: +2.</b></p>
<p>Ah, the danger in writing the quick version of the recap in the top of the 9th. This what I had:</p>
<p><i>With the reigning <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/world-series">World Series</a> MVP <span>Madison Bumgarner</span> starting you'd be forgiven for believing it would be a long night for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a>. <span>Paul Goldschmidt</span> and <span>Archie Bradley</span> had something to say about that.</i></p>
<p><i> </i></p>
<p><i><span>Mark Trumbo</span> got the D-backs going in the second by hitting a solo home run to deep left, but it was Goldy who put Arizona in the lead with a three run blast to the same area in the 5th. The spot wasn't too far from where Paul hit his first career MLB home run. How do I know this? As someone who attended that game in 2011, I'm legally obligated to bring it up at every relevant opportunity.</i></p>
<p><i> </i></p>
<p><i>The offense spotted Bradley 4 runs, and that's all he'd need. After a bumpy, 20 pitch first inning, Archie settled down and largely cruised to a 6 2/3 inning effort that only gave up 4 hits and 2 earned runs. The second of the two runs came in the 7th, and came partially courtesy of a <span>Brandon Crawford</span> home run served up by <span>Oliver Perez</span>.</i></p>
<p><i> </i></p>
<p><i>Also of note is the performance by Nick Ahmed. He got 2 hits, true, but his valuable defense was on full display. He's just a joy to watch play on that side of the ball, and it almost makes you completely forget his light bat.</i></p>
<p>Technically still all true and still serviceable, but the 9th and 10th inning meltdowns by <span>Addison Reed</span> and virtually everyone on the defense completely changed the narrative of the game. Instead of it being about 2 young players leading the team to victory, and imagining about the wonderful future, we got a closer self-destructing on the mound, a manager over thinking it, and a bunch of people booting the ball around so much you think they were trying out for Arizona United Soccer Club.</p>
<p>Of course, the D-backs still won. <i>Eventually</i>. But they could have won in the regulation, and in the 10th. Hell, if Bradley isn't lifted in the 7th with 2 outs, it's possible Reed has his meltdown and we still win in 9 innings. Archie certainly didn't look like he was trying much, and it's hard to say he would have instantly given up a home run the way Perez did.</p>
<p>The second guessing of Chip Hale continues into the 9th when he does a double switch to get Reed out, but then replaces Ahmed, last night's best defender, with Chad Pennington. And what almost immediately happens? Chad gets a tough ball hit at him that he can't make a play on that lets in the tying run. It's hard to say completely that Ahmed would have made the play, but I'm choosing to believe he would just because it makes me feel better.</p>
<p>In the 10th AJ Pollock launched a home run to give the D-backs yet another lead, but of course it was held. Instead Chafin seemingly couldn't find the strike zone and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a> loaded the bases and tied the game. It was only when <span>Evan Marshall</span> that outs starting coming in, and he didn't allow anymore runners across the plate in the 10th.</p>
<p>There was redemption in the 12th for two of the players that made some bad defensive plays in the 9th. Ender singled to lead things off, was followed by a Goldschmidt intentional walk, and then both were brought around by an <span>Aaron Hill</span> double. Inciarte had missed a catch in the outfield in the 9th he normally would have grabbed, and Hill had some shakiness in the 10th as well with a throwing error to advance a runner.</p>
<p>Of course, it would be too easy for the Giants to just go quietly into the night, and they took back a run with <span>Matt Duffy</span> getting and RBI double that scored Brandon Belt. Randall Delgado, effectively the last pitcher available at this point, locked it down, though, and a win was finally had after 4 hours and 20 minutes.</p>
<p align="center"><iframe src="http://www.fangraphs.com/graphframe.aspx?config=0&static=1052764&type=wins&num=0&h=450&w=450&date=2015-04-16&team=Giants&dh=0" scrolling="no" style="border:1px solid black;" frameborder="0" height="450" width="450"></iframe><br><span>Source: <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/wins.aspx?date=2015-04-16&team=Giants&dh=0&season=2015">FanGraphs</a></span></p>
<p align="center"><b>Great: </b>Aaron Hill (40.8%)</p>
<p align="center"><b>Also Good: </b>AJ Pollock (33.6%), Paul Goldschmidt (28.2%), Archie Bradley (20%)</p>
<p align="center"><b>Dumpster Fire: </b>Addison Reed (-47.6%)</p>
<p align="center"><b>Also Not Good: </b><span>Andrew Chafin</span> (-31.7%), Oliver Perez (-17.6%), <span>Yasmany Tomas</span> (-16.2%)</p>
<p>So there you have it, a bit of a wild game where neither team seemingly wanted to win from about the 9th through the 12th. Extra innings means busy Gameday Threads, with last night's wracking up over 1600 comments. DbacksSkins was the top banana with 279 comments, and he was joined by: 5thStarter, Angry_Saguaro, AzRattler, BIGredmc, Britback, Bryn21, BulldogsNotZags, Chelsea75, DeadmanG, Diamondhacks, Incomplete Translation, ItownBallers22, James Attwood, Jim McLennan, JoeCB1991, Makakilo, MrMrrbi, PHXHero, PhxSunsFan4Life, Robert Merrill, SenSurround, SongBird, Toll Booth Willie, Xerostomia, Xipooo, Zavada's Moustache, asteroid, azbaseballfan, bbtng, catbat, cheese1213, coldblueAZ, dbrowell, ford.williams.10, freeland1787, hotclaws, luckycc, mbarnard11, mm213, onedotfive, piratedan7, porty99, preston.salisbury, rd33, serg_guillen, shoewizard, since_98, singaporedbacksfan, and me.</p>
<p>Comment of the night goes to freeland1787 for unsuccessfully predicting Aaron hills at-bat in the 12th:</p>
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<h2 class="title collapse_toggle ">Aaron Hill to strike out</h2>
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<p>In 3, 2, 1…</p>
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<p>Never Count Out Touchdown Tom <br>Paul Goldschmidt: America's First Baseman</p>
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<div class="meta">by <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/freeland1787" class="poster" target="_blank">freeland1787</a> on <a href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/4/16/8437843/gameday-thread-10-4-16-vs-giants#300383936" class="date">Apr 17, 2015 | 2:18 AM</a> <span class="user_actions"> <a href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/4/16/8437843/gameday-thread-10-4-16-vs-giants#" class="reply_link" title="reply to this comment">reply</a> <span class="cactions mod "> <a href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/4/16/8437843/gameday-thread-10-4-16-vs-giants#" class="rec_link recommended"> rec <span class="rec_count"> (8) </span> </a> <a href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/4/16/8437843/gameday-thread-10-4-16-vs-giants#" class="flag_link "> flag </a> <span class="mod_actions"> <a href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/4/16/8437843/gameday-thread-10-4-16-vs-giants#" class="actions_toggle">actions</a></span></span></span>
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<p>And we're all glad he was wrong!</p>
<p>Last night was the only beginning of the festivities of a 4 game set in San Francisco. Game time tonight is again at 7:15pm Arizona time, so at least the players have an extra hour to rest.</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/4/17/8439125/diamondbacks-5-giants-5soco2015-04-17T02:49:18-04:002015-04-17T02:49:18-04:00Diamondbacks 7, Giants 6
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<figcaption>Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>First we were winning, then we weren't, then we were winning again, then we weren't.. Then we were winning again. What would happen next?</p> <p>Archie Bradley's second start was not quite as good as his first, but it was still plenty impressive, as he out-dueled <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/world-series">World Series</a> MVP Madison Bumgarner. Bradley worked into the seventh inning, and was charged with two runs on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts. It would have been one, but <span>Oliver Perez</span> came in and allowed a home-run to the only batter he faced, a two-run shot which brought the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a> within one. Arizona had taken a 4-1 lead on a three-run shot by <span>Paul Goldschmidt</span>, having tied the game on a second-inning bomb, the first of the year from <span>Mark Trumbo</span>.</p>
<p><span>Addison Reed</span> had a horrible outing in the ninth. He retired two of six batters, blowing the save, and had to bailed out by <span>Andrew Chafin</span> with the bases loaded. <span>A.J. Pollock</span> gave Arizona a 5-4 lead in the tenth, sending his first ball of 2015 out of the park,. but <span>Evan Marshall</span> blew another save in the bottom half, an error by <span>Aaron Hill</span> leading to an unearned run for the Giants. But in the 12th, Hill atoned, delivering a two-run double to the gap in left-center, and the D-backs took the lead again. <span>Randall Delgado</span>, our last relief pitcher, promptly allowed one run and had the tying run on second, but snared a liner back at him to send us back to .500 and the Giants to their seventh straight loss.</p>
<p>The scheduled recapper went to bed about 30 minutes ago, so the full recap will follow in the morning. Talk among yourselves.</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/4/17/8439369/diamondbacks-giantsJim McLennan2015-04-16T20:00:02-04:002015-04-16T20:00:02-04:00Game #10 Preview: 4/16, Diamondbacks @ Giants
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<figcaption>Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Cy Young winner defeated? Check. So the World Series MVP shouldn't be an issue for Archie Bradley...</p>
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<td valign="middle" width="10%"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2572695/ari.png"></td>
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<span>Archie Bradley</span><br>RHP, 1-0, 0.00</h5>
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<span>Madison Bumgarner</span><br>LHP, 1-1, 5.40</h5>
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<span>Ender Inciarte</span> - LF</td>
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<span>Norichika Aoki</span> - LF</td>
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<span>A.J. Pollock</span> - CF</td>
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<span>Gregor Blanco</span> - RF</td>
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<span>Paul Goldschmidt</span> - 1B</td>
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<span>Angel Pagan</span> - CF</td>
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<span>Mark Trumbo</span> - RF</td>
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<span>Buster Posey</span> - C</td>
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<span>Aaron Hill</span> - 3B</td>
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<span>Brandon Belt</span> - 1B</td>
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<span>Chris Owings</span> - 2B</td>
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<span>Matt Duffy</span> - 3B</td>
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<span>Tuffy Gosewisch</span> - C</td>
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<span>Joe Panik</span> - 2B</td>
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<span>Nick Ahmed</span> - SS</td>
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<span>Brandon Crawford</span> - SS</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Archie Bradley - RHP</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Madison Bumgarner - LHP</td>
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> still seek their first road series win since July, having lost two chances to break that streak in San Diego, including blowing a lead in the series finale and turning it into an annoying loss combining TOOTBLAN and the curse of Kevin Towers. Since this is a four-game set, winning it will be a tall order, especially as we - and by "we", I mean mostly "Paul Goldschmidt" - don't get to face Timmeh. However, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a> have lost six in a row, as documented in the series preview, and having scored only nine runs in total, it's clear where their issue has been. Though conceding 27 runs over that time indicates the pitching hasn't been awesome either.</p>
<p>Between facing a slumping offense, and doing so in the much less hitter-friendly confines of AT&T Park at night, Bradley could be excused for considering this a trivial challenge, compared to taking on the reigning Cy Young winner in his major-league debut. That said, Bumgarner beat us when we faced him on Opening Day, and, odd-year curse or not, it would be foolish to take the reigning <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/world-series">World Series</a> champions lightly for four games on their home turf. I'd probably be happy to split these games, but a win tonight might cause me to get greedy. And, of course, beating Bumgarner would be another great scalp on Archie's belt, alongside that of the dejected Amish farmer.</p>
<p>Archie becomes the second pitcher ever to make his first two career regular-season starts facing the reigning Cy Young and World Series MVP. The first was Colorado's Randy Flores in 2002 - coincidentally against the D-backs, as he faced Curt Schilling on Sept. 20, then <span>Randy Johnson</span> six days later. The games were split, Colorado winning the first 9-4, Flores getting a no-decision, but losing the second 4-2, with him getting the loss. However, Flores began the season as a reliever and had made 25 appearances, as well as being dealt from Texas to Colorado, before the starts in question. Oddly, in both games, Flores allowed seven hits, four runs, two walks and K'd two.</p>
<p>Same eight position players starting for the Diamondbacks as on Opening Day, with the only change being the swapping of Inciarte and Pollock at the top of the order. Hopefully, the overall end result will be better for Arizona, and we can continue the Giants' misery, extending their losing streak to seven games I will not be around, since we're off to a live performance of <a target="_blank" href="http://commonplacebooks.com/"><i>Welcome to Night Vale</i></a> in Mesa. I'll try to avoid checking my phone for updates during the performance, since I certainly do not want to be That Guy!</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/4/16/8435701/arizona-diamondbacks-san-francisco-giants-previewJim McLennan