AZ Snake Pit - Game #61: 6/13, Arizona Diamondbacks 4, San Francisco Giants 2An unofficial Arizona Diamondbacks community and bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47033/azsnakepit_f.png2015-06-14T00:04:20-04:00http://www.azsnakepit.com/rss/stream/85406062015-06-14T00:04:20-04:002015-06-14T00:04:20-04:00ARI 4, SFG 2: Can't spell Webster without a W...
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<figcaption>Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Allen Webster's debut for the Diamondbacks was pretty solid, I think we can say. As in, "taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning" solid. </p> <p><b>Record: 29-32. Pace: 77-85. Change on 2014: +4. </b></p>
<p>In future years, <span>Allen Webster</span> may become the answer to a <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a>' trivia question. Which pitcher got to hit for the team, before he threw a pitch for them? For such was the case this afternoon, as <span>A.J. Pollock</span> led off the first <u>and</u> second innings for Arizona, because <span>Ryan Vogelsong</span> appeared to change his name to Ryan ControlGone [look, it's been a long week, people - work with me here]. That seemed quite unlikely, as the first two batters up made outs in six pitches: but it then took Vogelsong seven attempts and 32 additional pitches to get that tricky third out. That included four walks, three of them in a row and two - to <span>Jarrod Saltalamacchia</span> and <span>Nick Ahmed</span> - with the bases loaded.</p>
<p>The only meaningful hit during the inning, in terms of production, was <span>David Peralta</span> singling home <span>Paul Goldschmidt</span>, who had the frame's other hit for the D-backs. But with Vogelsong catching Pac-man Fever [walka-walka-walka-walka...], it was enough for Arizona to send Webster to the mound with a three-run lead, by the time he threw his first pitch in Sedona Red [technically, Saturday whites, dammit]. As freeland1787 put it in the Gameday Thread, "Doesn’t get any softer a landing for him," and I can't recall another game where a Diamondbacks starting pitcher made his debut and had a three-run lead the first time he stepped on the rubber.</p>
<p>All stress gone, Webster responded with a clean 1-2-3 inning, right? In your dreams. For whatever infected Vogelsong, appeared to have lingered around the mound, in some kind of infectious cloud, and Webster walked two of the first four San Francisco batters he faced. That had always been the knock on Webster: like Rubby De La Rosa, the stuff was there, but the control could be questionable. In 23 minor-league innings this year, he had walked 12 batters, and this looked like more of the same. However, it was not the case, as a lightbulb appeared to go off inside the starter's head, and Allen retired the next fourteen <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a> in order.</p>
<p>You'll perhaps have noticed something: the lack of mention of any San Francisco hits. And that was, indeed, the case: between today and yesterday, it seemed like a flashback to a bygone era, when the meme about the Giants (whether true or not) was that they were all pitching and no hitting. For over the first 15 innings of this series, Arizona pitching held the home team to just two hits. According to a stat on the national broadcast, it was the first time the Giants had been held hitless over the first five innings of consecutive games in almost <i>thirty years, </i>going all the way back to September 24-25, 1986.</p>
<p>However, just as we were beginning to start counting down the outs, it came to an end. With one out in the sixth inning, Webster gave up a four-pitch walk to the San Francisco lead-off hitter. The next man doubled; a sacrifice fly and an RBI double followed, and Chip Hale decided it was time to go to the bullpen. Webster went from a no-hitter to being lifted in one out, but you can't complain too much about a final line of 5.2 innings of two-hit ball, even if they did result in two runs. Three walks and two strikeouts isn't the kind of K:BB ratio which will lead to sustainable success either, yet it would be churlish to complain about what Webster did to the reigning <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/world-series">World Series</a> champions.</p>
<p>It was thus a two-run lead handed to the bullpen, and <span>Andrew Chafin</span> stopped the immediate bleeding, getting the third out of the sixth. He worked a clean seventh, before <span>Randall Delgado</span> took over for the eighth, and put up a zero of his own, despite a hit and a wild pitch. This was needed, because the Arizona offense appeared to have trudged off the field along with Vogelsong. He was immediately replaced by former D-back Yusmeiro Petit, and he plus his colleague in the Giants' bullpen all but no-hit Arizona the rest of the way. Our sole base-runner over the remaining 5.1 innings was a <span>Yasmany Tomas</span> single with two outs in the seventh; he was caught stealing, so we effectively went 16 up, 16 down.</p>
<p><span>Brad Ziegler</span> entered for the second consecutive day, to try and close the door. A one-out double brought the tying run to the plate, but a hard-hit smash corralled by <span>Aaron Hill</span> at second, and a gentler one to <span>Jake Lamb</span> at third, brought Ziegler his eighth save and reduced his season ERA to 1.61. Pollock, Goldschmidt and David Peralta all enjoyed two-hit afternoons in front of a national TV audience, with Tomas getting a hit and a walk, and Nick Ahmed drawing a pair of walks. Jake Lamb went 0-for-4 with a strikeout and still doesn't seem to have got his timing right: since coming back, he is 2-for-17 with one walk and four K's. These things take time.</p>
<p align="center"><img src="https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3788202/chart.0.png" alt="Fangraph"><br>[<i>Click for details, at fangraphs.com</i>]<br><b>Webster's Dictionary: David Peralta, +12.0%</b><br>Oxford English: Andrew Chafin, +11.5%<br><i><b>Urban Dictionary: Jake Lamb, -6.6%</b></i></p>
<p>Though there is certainly a good case to be made, that the most valuable player for the D-backs today was Ryan Vogelsong. Over 650 comments here, with freeland1787, James Attwood and GuruB topping the list. Also enjoying the national attention were: AzDbackfanInDc, AzRattler, BIGredmc, Clefo, Craig from Az, DbacksSkins, DeadmanG, Diamondhacks, Jim McLennan, JoeCB1991, MrMrrbi, Nate Rowan, SenSurround, Sprankton, Xerostomia, asteroid, bbtng, friendly visiting fan gallo del cielo, gamepass, hotclaws, noblevillain, onedotfive, piratedan7 and xmet. Comment of the thread to 'hacks.</p>
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<h2 class="title collapse_toggle ">Tomas</h2>
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<p>with an off Broadway hit</p>
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<p>keeping pollock fresh is a good idea, if we're talking about fish. - xmet 5.26.15</p>
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<div class="meta">by <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Diamondhacks" class="poster" target="_blank">Diamondhacks</a> on <a href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/6/13/8776649/gameday-thread-61-6-13-vs-giants#311148828" class="date">Jun 13, 2015 | 6:22 PM</a> <span class="user_actions"> <a href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/6/13/8776649/gameday-thread-61-6-13-vs-giants#" class="reply_link" title="reply to this comment">reply</a> <span class="cactions mod "> <a href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/6/13/8776649/gameday-thread-61-6-13-vs-giants#" class="rec_link "> rec <span class="rec_count"> </span> </a> <a href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/6/13/8776649/gameday-thread-61-6-13-vs-giants#" class="flag_link "> flag </a> <span class="mod_actions"> <a href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/6/13/8776649/gameday-thread-61-6-13-vs-giants#" class="actions_toggle">actions</a> </span> </span> </span>
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<p>So, we head into Sunday's game, the series in the bag, and with the possibility of a sweep. Not many thought that would happen. Indeed, based on the preview poll, most of us expected to lose the series, and that certainly isn't going to happen. It's Rubby De La Rosa versus <span>Chris Heston</span>, so based on a) what our starters have done this series, and b) Heston's previous outing, this one should be like the <a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_Haddix#Near_perfect_game">Harvey Haddix game</a>. So, it'll probably end up 11-9 to someone. Well, as long as it's us...</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/6/14/8777061/diamondbacks-giants-allen-websterJim McLennan2015-06-13T22:06:51-04:002015-06-13T22:06:51-04:00Diamondbacks 4, Giants 2
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<figcaption>Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Diamondback took advantage of some early wildness by Ryan Vogelsong, and held on to clinch the series, and give Allen Webster a debut W.</p> <p><span>Ryan Vogelsong</span> walked four batters in the first inning, taking almost forty pitches and going through the entire order before getting the final out, his opposing number. The frame included two walks with the bases loaded, and ended with Arizona three runs up. <span>Paul Goldschmidt</span> added an RBI single in the fourth that marked the end of Vogelsong's day. It also just about marked the end of the Arizona offense, as they managed only one hit and no walks the rest of the way, against <span>Yusmeiro Petit</span> and the San Francisco bullpen.</p>
<p>Early on, it looked like <span>Allen Webster</span> was doing his best Vogelsong impression, as he walked two of the first four batters faced. However, he then settled down, retiring 14 in a row, and much like <span>Chase Anderson</span> last night, taking a no-hitter of his own into the second half of the game. Webster's effort ended with one out in the sixth, and he was clearly flagging by that point, being lifted with two down. <span>Andrew Chafin</span> mopped up, leaving Webster with a line of two runs, on two hits and three walks, with a pair of strikeouts, over 5.2 innings. Chafin, <span>Randall Delgado</span> and <span>Brad Ziegler</span> took things the rest of the way, and extend the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a>' home losing streak.</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/6/13/8777001/diamondbacks-giants-scoreJim McLennan2015-06-13T18:00:03-04:002015-06-13T18:00:03-04:00Game #61 Preview: 6/13, Diamondbacks @ Giants
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<img alt="Looks like Webster has a bit of a funky pitching action... :)" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ailPSm3ykJFTjd86pwV7HpPikHo=/0x14:2954x1983/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46531232/usa-today-8439904.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Looks like Webster has a bit of a funky pitching action... :) | Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Hey, I don't have to review any bad movies today! That's a win, right there...</p>
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<span>Allen Webster</span><br>RHP, 0-0, N/A</h5>
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<span>Ryan Vogelsong</span><br>RHP, 4-4, 4.52</h5>
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<span>A.J. Pollock</span> - CF</td>
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<span>Norichika Aoki</span> - LF</td>
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<span>Jake Lamb</span> - 3B</td>
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<span>Joe Panik</span> - 2B</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>Yasmany Tomas</span> - RF</td>
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<span>Buster Posey</span> - C</td>
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<span>David Peralta</span> - LF</td>
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<span>Brandon Belt</span> - 1B</td>
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<span>Aaron Hill</span> - 2B</td>
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<span>Brandon Crawford</span> - SS</td>
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<span>Jarrod Saltalamacchia</span> - C</td>
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<span>Matt Duffy</span> - 3B</td>
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<span>Nick Ahmed</span> - SS</td>
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<span>Jarrett Parker</span> - RF</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Allen Webster - RHP</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Ryan Vogelsong - RHP</td>
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<p>Bit of a different look for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> line-up today, with Pollock batting lead-off, and Lamb following him in the two-hole. I'm kinda interested to see how those two work. I'd certainly rather have Pollock at the top of the line-up than <span>Ender Inciarte</span>, since Pollock sees more pitches (both are below league average, but Pollock is at 3.55 per PA, compared to 3.33), gets on base more often (.368 to .317) and is better at stealing (14 SB at at 78% rare, rather than 8 at a 62% rate). All told, he just seems a better fit to lead-off, and I'm not sure why Chip Hale seems to prefer Inciarte there. Not an issue today though.</p>
<p>I am also curious to see what Allen Webster will bring to the table. The word is much the same as Rubby De La Rosa - great stuff, but question-marks are whether or not he can harness it effectively. However, considering who he is replacing in the rotation, he won't have to do an enormous amount to be, sadly, more effective than <span>Josh Collmenter</span> has been since the end of April. I'll settle for that. Though following in the footsteps of <span>Chase Anderson</span> and flirting with a no-hitter would be nice! On the other hand, I hope our offense is a bit more efficient than they were last night: if it takes 11 hits to score every run, we may be in for a long afternoon...</p>
<p><b>Do not look for this game on Fox Sports Arizona</b>. It's a national game, and so should show up on Fox Sports, though whether it;s this one or some alternative, may depend on your location. I cannot assist with that. But if anyone shows up in the Gameday Thread, wondering why the game is not on FSAZ, I will <u>cut</u> them... Hopefully, the team will respond to the threat of (semi-)national coverage, and put up another good performance, extending the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a>' home losing streak further. After the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> series, it would certainly be nice to take this one early, and go for the sweep tomorrow afternoon.</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/6/13/8776513/arizona-diamondbacks-san-francisco-giants-previewJim McLennan