AZ Snake Pit - Game #133: 9/1 Game 2, Arizona Diamondbacks 5, Colorado Rockies 3An unofficial Arizona Diamondbacks community and bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47033/azsnakepit_f.png2015-09-02T01:00:01-04:00http://www.azsnakepit.com/rss/stream/90063682015-09-02T01:00:01-04:002015-09-02T01:00:01-04:00Dbacks 5, Rockies 3: Night-cap, Re-cap
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<figcaption>Justin Edmonds/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>After getting a taste of success in the first half of today's festivities, the Diamondbacks went for their second win of the day against the Rockies...</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> were even quicker to score tonight than they were this afternoon. <span>Paul Goldschmidt</span> felt really, really bad about the events of the first game, so he went ahead and hit a solo home run in his at bat in the first inning to give Arizona an early lead. It wouldn't last long, though, as Rubby de la Rosa struggled in the bottom of the inning. A lead off single to <span>Charlie Blackmon</span> started things off. However, Blackmon tried to take second, and was thrown out. <span>Cristhian Adames</span> doubled. <span>Carlos Gonzalez</span> lined out, but a <span>Nolan Arenado</span> singled, scoring Adames. During Ben Paulson's at bat, Rubby balked, sending Arenado to second. That probably was what allowed Arenado to score on the double that Paulson hit. 2-1 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.purplerow.com/">Rockies</a></p>
<p>It stayed that way until the third inning. Rubby had been getting into more of a grove over the last six outs, but he gave up a home run to Arenado to extend Colorado's lead by one. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks offense was being ineffective. A double play ended any threats they may have mounted in the second, and then they left a runner at third in the third.</p>
<p><span>Kyle Kendrick</span> was pulled from the game by the Rockies after just four innings. I didn't hear any official word on why, but speculation in the GDT was because in his return from the DL, he never actually threw a rehab game, just bullpen sessions, so they were going easy on him. He left with a lead, but he wasn't eligible for the win. He was replaced by <span>Christian Bergman</span>, who shut down the Dbacks over the course of the fifth and sixth innings.</p>
<p>In the seventh, Bergman was replaced by Scott Oberg. This pitching change went much better for the Dbacks than the last one. Oberg failed to record an out, and gave up two runs. He hit Phil Gosslen in the first at bat of the inning and then walked Owings. That brought up <span>Aaron Hill</span>, pinch hitting for Rubby. Hill hit a two base knock to score both runners, tie the game, and force Oberg out of the game. <span>Kyle Parker</span> came in to pitch. He didn't do much better. After getting <span>Ender Inciarte</span> out, he gave up a two run home run to AJ Pollock to give the Dbacks a 5-3 lead.</p>
<p>To finish off the game, <span>Enrique Burgos</span> struck out the side swinging in the eighth, and Collmenter came in to finish them off in the last two innings. Dbacks sweep a double header against the Rockies for the second time this season, with a final score of 5-3</p>
<p align="center"><iframe src="http://www.fangraphs.com/graphframe.aspx?config=0&static=0&type=livewins&num=0&h=450&w=450&date=2015-09-01&team=Rockies&dh=2" 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=2015-09-01&team=Rockies&dh=2&season=2015">FanGraphs</a></span></p>
<p align="center">Zombie Night: Aaron Hill, 23%</p>
<p align="center">Dbacks Zubaz night Wellington Castillo, -18%</p>
<p>Three hundred and ninety comments tonight, spread between 22 visitors. All present were, DbacksSkins, GuruB, I suppose I'm a Pessimist, JoeCB1991, Makakilo, MrMrrbi, NumberOneIanKennedyFan31, Re Tired, SongBird, asteroid, danzews7, ford.williams.10, freeland1787, gamepass, hotclaws, imstillhungry95, noblevillain, onedotfive, piratedan7, porty99, preston.salisbury, and shoewizard. I'm the only person who got multiple recs tonight, and it was for a comment that had less than zero to do with the game, so no Comment of the Game this time around. Maybe next time.</p>
<p>Only one game tomorrow, with a start time of 5:40 Arizona time. Chase Anderson looks to silence the Rockies and lead the Diamondbacks to a series win. See you there!</p>
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https://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/9/2/9242825/dbacks-5-rockies-3-night-cap-re-capImstillhungry952015-09-01T23:48:19-04:002015-09-01T23:48:19-04:00Dbacks 5, Rockies 3
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<p>The offense was fairly quiet for basically all of the game tonight, and it looked like they were going to hang Rubby De La Rosa with an undeserved loss. However, they finally got the bats going in the seventh when they put up a four spot on the scoreboard. A hit by pitch and a walk set up an Aaron Hill RBI double to tie the game, and get Rubby out of the line for the loss. Then AJ Pollock hit a two run home run to give the Diamondbacks a 5-3 lead.</p>
<p>As I mentioned, the loss would have been undeserved for Rubby, had he been stuck with it. He ended up going six innings, six hits, three runs, and no walks at Coors Field. If you hold the Rockies to three runs at home, you should be able to win that game most of the time, and the Diamondbacks did. Full recap to follow shortly!</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/9/1/9243389/dbacks-5-rockies-3Imstillhungry952015-09-01T19:31:01-04:002015-09-01T19:31:01-04:00Game #133 Preview: 9/1 Game 2, D-backs @ Rockies
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<figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Let's play two! Better yet, let's WIN two!</p> <h4 align="center">The La Russa Heartbreakometer</h4>
<p align="center"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/8/21/9189161/arizona-diamondbacks-cincinatti-reds-preview/in/8953700">What is this?</a></p>
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<td><img alt="Heart Left" style="height: 200px;" src="https://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3989046/heartl.0.png"></td>
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<img alt="W" src="https://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3989118/w.0.png"><img alt="W" src="https://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3989118/w.0.png"><img alt="W" src="https://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3989118/w.0.png"><img alt="W" src="https://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3989118/w.0.png"><img alt="W" src="https://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3989118/w.0.png">
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<td><img style="height: 200px;" alt="Heart right" src="https://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3989044/heartr.0.png"></td>
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<td valign="middle" width="10%"><img src="https://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/assets/2572695/ari.png"></td>
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<h5>Rubby De La Rosa<br>LHP, 11-6, 4.46<span> </span>
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<span>Kyle Kendrick</span><br>RHP, 4-12, 6.43</h5>
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<span>Ender Inciarte</span> - RF</td>
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<span>Charlie Blackmon</span> - CF</td>
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<span>A.J. Pollock</span> - CF</td>
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<span>Cristhian Adames</span> - SS</td>
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<span>Paul Goldschmidt</span> - 1B</td>
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<span>Carlos Gonzalez</span> - RF</td>
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<span>David Peralta</span> - LF</td>
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<span>Nolan Arenado</span> - 3B</td>
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<span>Welington Castillo</span> - C</td>
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<span>Ben Paulsen</span> - 1B</td>
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<span>Jake Lamb</span> - 3B</td>
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<span>Matt McBride</span> - LF</td>
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<span>Phil Gosselin</span> - 2B</td>
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<span>Daniel Descalso</span> - 2B</td>
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<span>Chris Owings</span> - SS</td>
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<span>Dustin Garneau</span> - C</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Rubby De La Rosa - RHP</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Kyle Kendrick - RHP</td>
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<p>Having safely negotiated the tricky minefield which is a late-inning lead in single digits at Coors Field, we head in to the night-cap of the double header with the chance of a sweep. Of course, whether that happens will depend on where the Wheel O' De La Rosa stops, and considering how home-run prone he is, I'm not sure that a game in Coors Field is the best chance we'll have of a favorable outcome. August was a bit better for Rubby in that department, as he allowed three long-balls over his 30 innings of work, a sharp improvement over July when it was eight in 29.2 innings. Two of those came in his last start vs. St. Louis, which was also his first loss since the break.</p>
<p>In terms of a line-up, there are a few changes from the opening game, with the main change being an unsurprising one of Castillo taking over behind the dish from Saltalamacchia. Four RBI man Gosselin also gets to take the field for another start, with Owings coming in to shortstop, replacing <span>Nick Ahmed</span> . <span>Aaron Hill</span>, in case you were wondering, is apparently suffering from some minor hand and hamstring issues, and the plan is to stay away from him this series if possible. The arrival of <span>Brandon Drury</span> should probably improve the chances of that; he's on the bench in the second game, Lamb taking over at the hot corner. Peralta replaces <span>Yasmany Tomas</span> in the outfield.</p>
<p>Going up against Kendrick certainly gives us a chance to sweep the double-header, since he has been one of the worst pitchers in the majors this year. Of the 116 to have thrown a hundred or more innings, Kendrick is ranked 116th, and there are only a couple of other with ERAs above 5.70. Some of that, obviously, is Coors, but even adjusting and use ERA+, he only moves up to 112th, and his FIP of 6.15 is also worst in the majors and a full three-quarters of a run worse than the 115th-ranked pitcher, <span>Jeremy Guthrie</span> of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.royalsreview.com/">Royals</a>. In other words, this is certainly a pitcher we can beat, should beat and have to beat. Or else, it's likely gonna be a long last month!</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/9/1/9242277/arizona-diamondbacks-colorado-rockies-previewJim McLennan