AZ Snake Pit - Game #149: 9/20, Arizona Diamondbacks 1, San Francisco Giants 5An unofficial Arizona Diamondbacks community and bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47033/azsnakepit_f.png2015-09-20T20:17:43-04:00http://www.azsnakepit.com/rss/stream/91230902015-09-20T20:17:43-04:002015-09-20T20:17:43-04:00Diamondbacks 1, Giants 5: Brooms denied
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<p dir="ltr"><b>Record: 71-78. Pace: 77-85. Change on 2014: +10.</b></p>
<p dir="ltr">I'm @Angry_Saguaro, guest of Jim, who allowed me to report on the D-backs game (albeit without MLB approval). Before I do so, I want to introduce Brett Greenwood, a kid who graduated from my <i>Alma Mater</i>. Lifting weights, he had a brain aneurysm, was given up for dead, and last night - led the Hawkeyes on to the field. No matter who you route for, this kid is truly an inspiration - <a target="_blank" href="http://wqad.com/2015/09/19/brett-greenwood-leads-the-hawkeyes-onto-the-field/">here is the video</a></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>Jeremy Robert Hellickson - SP Dbacks</b></p>
<p dir="ltr">The D-backs (Field of Dreams) Iowa boy on the mound today - hoping to help the Dbacks sweep the defending Champs on their turf. Hellickson's last start could be compared to the Iowa State Fair floor remnants after a parade of cows. <span>Tim Hudson</span>, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a> starter and baseball's active win leader, absolutely owns the Dbacks.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I have to admit I was going to watch a little NFL and the D-backs at the same time - expecting the worst for the D-backs and couldn't give a shit about football. But, Hellickson looked absolutely great so, I focused on the D-backs. The first 5 innings, the D-backs game was a pitcher's duel with the D-backs/KTAR announcing team totally focused on the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/">Cardinals</a> vs. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> game.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Then in the bottom of the 6th inning the Giants scored, breaking up their 27 innings of un-scored runs and Hellickson was designated for the bench. Randal Delgado came in to throw 4 balls to Duffy putting him on base allowing Posey to hit a pitch into the bay - Champs 4, defending #1 draft pick team 0. Thank you KT.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Back to Football.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Noonan pinch hit in the 7th and the Caddy Shack crowd at Mad Hatters Brewery went wild. Best part of the game so far.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Parker for the Giants, who looked lost until his bat in the eighth, drove in a run for the Giants... Nobody really cared at this point and the Giants evidently don't associate with Taco Bell</p>
<p dir="ltr">In the 9th, Peralta decided to wake me up and hit his 16th homerun of the year. 5 - 1 Champs.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> win the Giants series.</p>
<p dir="ltr">October 4th is only 14 days away......</p>
<p><b>Bells and Whistles, by Jim</b></p>
<p align="center"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.fangraphs.com/livewins.aspx?date=2015-09-20&team=Giants&dh=0&season=2015"><img src="https://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/4080554/chart.0.png" alt="Fangraphs"></a><br>[<i>Click to enlarge, at fangraphs.com</i>]<br><b>Wielding a saguaro: <span>Ender Inciarte</span>, +10.6%<br><i>Sitting on a saguaro: <span>Welington Castillo</span>, -15.2%</i><br></b><i>Bumping into a saguaro: <span>Randall Delgado</span>, -14.8%</i></p>
<p>A late surge [and, I admit, some encouragement!] got the GDT safely into three digits, with the top three being onedotfive, hotclaws and songbird. Also managing to tear themselves away from the NFL, at least briefly, were Angry_Saguaro, AzDbackfanInDc, GuruB, I suppose I'm a Pessimist, Jim McLennan, Makakilo, MrMrrbi, NumberOneIanKennedyFan31, gamepass, nolanriley13 and shoewizard. Comment of the thread to hotclaws for her poetic response after onedotfive mentioned you could hear a pin drop after Peralta's ninth-inning home-run:</p>
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<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/hotclaws" target="_blank" class="avatar"> <img src="https://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/profile_images/13068/cap_small.jpg" alt="hotclaws"> </a>
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<span class="collapse_toggle collapse_toggle_button"></span> Or a feather</h2>
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<p>dislodged by the weary flap of a pelargic bird’s wing drift effortlessly into the cool ,blue waters of the bay.</p>
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<p>Baseball fans love numbers. They love to swirl them around their mouths like Bordeaux wine. ~Pat Conroy</p>
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<div class="meta">by <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/hotclaws" class="poster" target="_blank">hotclaws</a> on <a href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/9/20/9360605/gameday-thread-149-9-20-giants#328302024" class="date">Sep 20, 2015 | 4:01 PM</a> <span class="user_actions"> <a href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/9/20/9360605/gameday-thread-149-9-20-giants#" class="up_link" title="scroll to parent comment">up</a> <a href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/9/20/9360605/gameday-thread-149-9-20-giants#" class="reply_link" title="reply to this comment">reply</a> <span class="cactions mod "> <a href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/9/20/9360605/gameday-thread-149-9-20-giants#" class="rec_link user_recommended"> unrec <span class="rec_count"> (1) </span> </a> <span class="mod_actions"> <a href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/9/20/9360605/gameday-thread-149-9-20-giants#" class="actions_toggle">actions</a> </span> </span> </span>
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<p>The loss does eliminate the Diamondbacks from post-season contention, but that's about 125 games later than last year [note: number may be approximate], so we'll take it. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> lost, so their magic number remains at seven: this means the only way they can clinch the series against us, if by sweeping the four-game set and if the Giants lose all three games they play in San Diego. Since we're facing Greinke and Kershaw on Wednesday and Thursday, I recommend we take care of that particular business sooner, rather than later! <span>Jhoulys Chacin</span> starts for the Diamondbacks in Los Angeles tomorrow night, with a first pitch of 7:10pm.</p>
<p>Thanks to Mr saguaro - or may I call him angry? - for his guest recappage!</p>
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https://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/9/20/9362571/diamondbacks-giants-recap-tim-hudsonAngry_Saguaro2015-09-20T19:11:38-04:002015-09-20T19:11:38-04:00Diamondbacks 1, Giants 5
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<figcaption>Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Well, guess it couldn't last forever...</p> <p>To his credit,. <span>Jeremy Hellickson</span> did take the shutout streak into the sixth inning, which is five innings further than he took a shutout last time he took the mound. But when it ended, it ended very quickly, as the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a> scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth without an out being recorded. The first two reached against Hellickson, and with the shutout gone, Chip Hale turned to Delgado, who walked one batter then allowed a three-run homer to St. Buster. Good work. Delgado! After that, it was mostly the B-bullpen, with the likes of <span>Keith Hessler</span>, Silvino Bracho and <span>Matt Stites</span> all making appearances.</p>
<p>It was the turn of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a>' offense not to show up, as we were held to six hits, though that was actually the same number as the Giants. Theirs were arranged more productively, however: we were being shut out until David Peralta cranked one out of AT&T Park in the ninth inning. He had two hits and a walk, and <span>Ender Inciarte</span> had three-quarters of the remainder [work it out...] The loss mathematically eliminates the Diamondbacks from contention, I believe, but does also make it unlike the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> will clinch against us: if the LA score stands, they would need to win all four games, and the Giants lose all three in San Diego.</p>
<p>angry_saguaro will be along in a bit with the guest recap.</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/9/20/9362415/diamondbacks-giants-scoreJim McLennan2015-09-20T14:00:02-04:002015-09-20T14:00:02-04:00Game #149 Preview: 9/20, Diamondbacks @ Giants
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<figcaption>Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>I'm getting used to these shutouts. Jeremy, don't disappoint me!</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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<span>Jeremy Hellickson</span><br>RHP, 9-9, 4.78</h5>
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<span>Tim Hudson</span><br>RHP, 7-8, 4.42</h5>
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<p>A little bit of weirdness for this preview, which is actually being written on the Saturday night, since I've got to be out and about on Sunday morning before line-ups are announced, so you'll have noticed their absence above. I may be back before first pitch. I may not. But Clefo will be bringing you the regularly scheduled Gameday Thread, as we go for a road sweep of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a>. We have already won six consecutive games at AT&T Park, and the last three of those have been shutouts. Can Hellickson keep it going? Let's be honest, odds against, though it's not impossible. The main problem seems to be, that the date is not July 26th.</p>
<p>I mention this because the last time Hellickson was involved in a team shutout was July 26th, 2015, when he tossed six innings and we beat the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/">Brewers</a> 3-0. The time before that was July 26th, <u>2014</u>, when he was with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.draysbay.com/">Rays</a> - they beat the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Red Sox</a>, also by a 3-0 score, though Hellickson lasted only 4.2 innings. So, if today was July 26th, 2016, I'd be prepared to bet on Jeremy - and double that up on a 3-0 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> victory. Instead, we have the much less certain fate of a pitcher who came back off the DL and lasted exactly one inning in his return to the rotation, allowing three hits, two walks and five runs as six of nine batters faced reached base. Doesn't exactly inspire confidence.</p>
<p>I'll be happy simply if we get the sweep. It'll be the third time we've faced Hudson this year, and the previous two games have been split. We raked him for five runs over five innings at AT&T Park in April, but lost at Chase earlier this month, as he allowed one run over six innings; maybe we need to fear his bat, since he homered in that contest. Giants' pitchers have nine home-runs this season; Diamondbacks' pitchers don't even have an <i>extra-base </i>hit. The 2013 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bucsdugout.com/">Pirates</a> are the only other <a target="_blank" href="http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/c1eKx">team in recorded baseball history</a> to have any position get 100+ AB in a season, and fail to record an extra-base hit: their pitchers did it too. Time is running out for the D-backs. No pressure, Jeremy...</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/9/20/9358889/arizona-diamondbacks-san-francisco-giants-previewJim McLennan