Johnny Mac - Flashing the leather.

The losing streak has come to end, courtesy of a fine game by Mr. Ian Kennedy and a great performance from the rest of the team. Game 16/162. And, possibly in an attempt to shake up the offense, the game started with a shake-up in the line-up.

1. Gerardo Parra (CF) –  He was the offensive performance of the day. In the bottom of the second, trailing by a run with 2 outs, John McDonald was intentionally walked to pitch to Ian Kennedy with the bases loaded. Ian Kennedy walked on 4 straight pitches. Which brought Gerardo Parra to the plate. He deposited his second homer of the season into the pool (for the second time this season). Grand slam and a 5 run inning! 5-1 Dbacks. He also collected another hit and a stolen base on the day.

2. Aaron Hill (2B) – He was 1-for-4 on the day, but it was a well-timed hit. He doubled in the bottom of the 7th to drive home an insurance run. 6-3 Dbacks!

3. Justin Upton (RF) – Went 1-for-2 on the day with a walk and was hit by a pitch. Unfortunately, he was hit in his same, already-injured hand. He was the second hitter plunked on the day. (Check in with the HBP-o-Meter to see where the season stands!) And, then – in a fit of rage – he was promptly caught attempting to steal second to end the inning.

4. Miguel Montero (C) – Wasn’t his strongest offensive showing of the season, 0-for-the day.

5. Paul Goldschmidt (1B) – Had a less-than-stellar day at the plate (0-for-3 with a walk), but he was defensive gold in the field today. Solid outing from the youngster. 3-6-3 double play! Smart, smart baseball.

6. Jason Kubel (LF) – 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. And, most impressively, was the put-out he recorded from left field, to throw out Dan Uggla, trying to extend a single into a double. It was a laser-beam, perfectly placed strike and it beat Uggla to the bag by at least 5 feet.

7. Cody Ransom (3B) – He made the most of his start today. He looked immensely comfortable at the plate. He went 2-for-3 with a run scored and was a solid stopper at the hot corner.

8. John McDonald (SS) – John McDonald had great day. He was his usually defensive whiz (Exhibit A) and also stepped up at the plate. 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.

9. Ian Kennedy (SP) – He had to battle all day, but he kept his head and kept his team in the game: 7.0 IP, 9H, 3R, 2BB, 5K. He also got an RBI by taking a 2-out, bases-loaded walk in the second inning. Exactly what you want from the ace of your staff.

9b. AJ Pollock (PH) -0-for-1 in his pinch-hit appearance.

9c. David Hernandez (RP) – 3-up, 3-down in his 8th inning appearance for his 4th hold of the year.

9d. Lyle Overbay (PH) – 0-for-1 in his pinch-hit appearance.

9e. JJ Putz (Cl) – He came in for the 9th inning with a 3 run lead.  A strike out, a solo HR (to Juan Francisco) and 2 fly ball outs en route to his 5th save of the season.

Score: 6-4, Diamondbacks win! Record 8-8. Back to .500 and it feels so good!

Conclusion: This is a solid team – from top to bottom – and, today, everyone chipped in to help get it done. A little shake up in the line-up and everyone came out swinging.

Update: The team announced after the game today that long man out of the pen, Wade Miley, is going to get the start tomorrow against the Phillies. Good luck, Mr. Miley!

This was not a pretty game. I feel like this picture of the sad dog with the broken leg sums it up perfectly.

So, yes, the pitching staff has allowed 19 runs (16 earned) in the last 18 innings of baseball. Cahill’s line tonight was as follows: 5.2IP, 7R(4ER), 2BB, 2K, 1HR. However, as fellow Dback fan on twitter @Derek_L_FOSTER said tonight, “It doesn’t matter if the Dbacks can pitch or not. You can’t win a 0-0 game.”

Which brings us to the offense. The offense is very unassuming these days without Justin Upton and Chris Young. It seems a bit directionless and is overall just a lot less dynamic. Tonight, the line for the team read: 6-for-31; 1 run scored (RBI groundout by Paul Goldschmidt; 2BB, 6K. It was through a combination of a leadoff single, a walk and  some aggressive baserunning by Aaron Hill that they managed to manufacture a run in the bottom of the 9th.

With the last 4 games ending in losses, it can now be officially considered that the Diamondbacks are in a slump.

So, in an effort to soothe the wounds of being outscored 19-3 in the last 2 games, we’re going to focus on the positives:

1. Paul Goldschmidt had the best offensive performance of the night, going 2-for-3 with a walk.
2. Though he finished 1-for-3 with a walk, Jason Kubel also provided some offensive value, grinding out his at-bats and seeing a total of 31 pitches. This was 21.8% of all of the pitches seen by Diamondbacks hitters during this game. 
3. Craig Breslow continues to be solid out of the pen. He did allow his inherited runner to score, bringing the score to 7-0, and was hardly consequential. He then pitched a scoreless 2.1 innings.
4. Brad Ziegler came out in a tough spot in relief of Joe Paterson who loaded the bases (4 singles) and walked in a run without collecting an out. Ziegler struck out his first batter and ended the inning by inducing a double play.

If you want further details, here is the box score: [clickety!], otherwise, let’s just try to forget this one and move on tomorrow. Tomorrow is another day and another chance to right the ship.

Score: 9-1, Diamondbacks lose; Record 7-7.

Conclusion: It’s a rough patch for the Diamondbacks. Let’s hope they’re just getting it all out of their system now.

Josh Collmenter (image c/o: Mark Winograd)

There was a brief delay to start this game, and then the rains continued to fall. The umpiring crew was clearly trying to force this game into “official game” territory, but had to give it up after 4 innings. When sure-handed Johnny Mac and gold glover Gerardo Parra are completely butchering plays they’d make every other day of the week and twice on Sunday, you know it was getting  a bit ridiculous.

However, there are 4 innings of baseball before a 1 hour and 11 minute delay and post-delay baseball (in the same pouring rain) to talk about, so here we go! Game 8/162.

1. Ryan Roberts (3B) – Back at his usual spot at 3B, he singled to start the game and drew a walk in his second at-bat. He reached on a force-out following the rain delay, but he continued to make solid contact.

2. Gerardo Parra (LF) – Getting the start in LF, he promptly singled immediately following Ryan Roberts’ leadoff single. He then got picked off of second base to end the inning. Following the rain delay, he hit yet another single to left field (his third in as many at-bats). In the 8th, he put down a beautiful bunt up the first base line, executing a safety squeeze and increasing the lead to 7-5.

3. Justin Upton (RF) – Struck out in both of his first two at-bats before the rain delay, leaving 4 men on base.

4. Miguel Montero (C) – Struck out on a pitch he didn’t like and walked. But, following the rain delay, he worked the count and blasted a 2-out, 3-run HR over the right/CF wall. The 2 potential double-plays that were broken up immediately prior to his at-bat loomed huge, as the deficit was cut from 5-1 to 5-4 with one swing of the bat.

5. Chris Young (CF) – Again, he continues to be on fire, driving home the game’s first run in the top of the first. Unfortunately, he popped out with the bases loaded and two outs in the 3rd inning, but he was only hitting around .400 and not 1.000 at the time, so it wasn’t entirely unexpected. He ended up going 2-for-4 with an RBI on the night. When you’re hot, you’re hot. And, Chris Young is still on fire.

6. Lyle Overbay (1B) – 0-for-2 with a strikeout going into the rain delay, he at least avoided leaving any runners on base.

6b. Paul Goldschmidt (PH-1B) – In the 7th inning, he pinch-hit for Lyle Overbay and lifted a sac fly into shallow RF. It was played really well by Michael Cuddyer, but Justin Upton charged hard and beat the throw, giving the Diamondbacks the lead for the first time in the ballgame. 6-5 Dbacks.

7. Aaron Hill (2B) – Unfortunately, he was part of the baserunning blunders prior to the rain delay and was thrown out (by a mile) attempting to steal second base in the second inning (as part of a strike ‘em out, throw ‘em out) after he walked in the second. He had some fleet-footed base-running following the rain delay to avoid a tag in the top of the 6th.

8. John McDonald (SS) – As per usual, not much was happening with the bat, but he made a couple of good plays (and, one that skidded off his wet and cold glove) before the rain delay. However, after the delay, Johnny Mac ripped his first hit of the year into left field and drove in Aaron Hill in the 6th to tie the game at 5-5. And, got his second hit of the season – another double, this one leading off the 8th inning, allowing him to be standing on third for Gerardo Parra to execute a safety squeeze.

9. Josh Collmenter (SP) – As in his last start, he never really settled in – leaving a lot of stuff up and over the plate and the Rockies took advantage – and making at least one fielding miscue. Going into the rain delay: 4.0 IP, 5H, 5R, 3BB, 3K, 2HR. It was a start where many people in the Diamondbacks baseball fandom were considering that Josh Collmenter was pitching for his spot in the rotation. But, after a solid year last year – including a post-season win – its unclear how long of a leash he really has at this point. It is highly possible that Josh Collmenter isn’t going anywhere for a good long while. But, if the pulse of the fandom is correct and he really was pitching to save his spot in the starting 5, he certainly didn’t do himself any favors tonight.

9b. Geoff Blum (PH) – Pinch hit for the pitcher (as he does) and took a lead off walk following the rain delay and broke up a double-play with a “I have been playing baseball longer than you have” hard slide into second base when Ryan Roberts grounded to the shortstop. (And, in the following at-bat, Gerardo Parra did exactly the same thing to break up another potential double play).

9c. Wade Miley (RP) – Carving a bit of a niche coming out in long relief of Josh Collmenter, he got 2 quick outs before giving up a triple to Michael Cuddyer. He made a couple of great plays in his first inning of relief, backing up a wayward throw to third on Cuddyer’s triple (he would have scored) and then covering first on a Tyler Colvin grounder. And, just like the last time he came in in long relief of Collmenter, he kept the opposing team at bay, pitching 3.0 innings of 2H, 1BB baseball. And, in the bottom of the 7th, he executed a swinging bunt for an infield single, in his quest to make himself indispensable to this team. Something that is going to create a bit of a situation when Saito is activated off of the DL.

9d. David Hernandez (RP) – Came in for his traditional 8th inning appearance. Unfortunately, he gave up a run, cutting a 7-5 deficit down to 7-6 going into the 9th inning.

9e. JJ Putz (CL) – Came in with the pouring rain. Let loose and hit Marco Scutaro. In conditions where no one can see and it was 38 degrees, this is not surprising. Unfortunately, that put the tying run on base. So, when Todd Helton laced a HR barely inside the RF foul pole, the Rockies walked off with the win.

Score: 8-7, Diamondbacks lose (and lose their first series to Colorado since 2010); Record 5-3. They got our hopes up, but man. That was a major letdown. But, with baseball, there’s always tomorrow. Hopefully, the sun will come out tomorrow.

Conclusion: It was wet and cold and miserable in Colorado. And, the weather was pretty terrible, too.

And, in case you missed it earlier, we have a shiny new feature here on the blog: THE 2012 HBP-o-METER. 

Ryan Roberts - image credit: Mark Winograd (WikiCommons)

1. Willie Bloomquist (SS) – In the lead-off spot had the first hit of the game in the bottom of the 1st. He also got on base again in the 7th with another single and was caught leaning the wrong way and picked off first by Guillermo Mota. Interestingly, there was a slo-mo analysis later in the inning that analyzed Mota’s pick-off move and, well, let’s just say that he’s going to have to be careful about who’s officiating when he pitches. That pick-off could have just as easily turned into a balk.

2. Chris Young (CF) – Batting in the second spot for the… first time under Kirk Gibson (he didn’t even play there during spring training) and only the second time in his career. He went 1-4, but he made it count. A long, 2-run home run in the top of the first. It might not be the last time we see CY in the 2-hole.

3. Justin Upton (RF) – 1-for-3 with a run scored, a walk and a strikeout. But, like Chris Young, he made it count. He ripped a ball into the LF corner that hopped into the crowd for a ground-rule double.

4. Miguel Montero (C) – 1-for-3 with a strikeout and a hit-by-pitch. That’s not going to do anything to calm the waters with an already heated rivalry. With Daniel Hudson pitching tomorrow, it’s probably for the best that Affeldt doesn’t come to bat.

5. Paul Goldschmidt (1B) – Number 5 agrees with him. In the first inning, he dealt the second big blow with a monster of a home run to LF. He went 1-for-3 with a walk, an RBI, and 2 runs scored. Good day.

6. Jason Kubel (LF) – He ended up going 0-for-3 on the night. He reached on an error (one of three by the Giants on the day) and had one strikeout. He was only really tested once in the field and it wasn’t a smooth play, but fortunately, even though Melky Cabrera ended up with a double, he didn’t come around to score.

6b. Gerardo Parra (LF) – As promised, Parra did make it into the game in the top of the 7th. He only had one ball hit his way – a routine grounder – and had one at-bat (a routine groundout). We’ll be seeing more of him in the next couple of days, I don’t doubt it.

7. Ryan Roberts (3B) – I made a joke on twitter that people should just start walking Ryan Roberts intentionally when he comes up with the bases loaded. And, it is a little hard to talk about a player being clutch. But, if anyone is clutch, its Ryan Roberts.

• With the bases loaded (15PA): 462 / .533 / .846 /1.379
• In the post-season (20PA): .350 / .350 / .700 / 1.050
• With a runner on third and 2 out (18PA): .400 / .500 / .867 / 1.367
• And, “late and close” (89PA): .347 / .455 / .542 / .996

And, he did it again tonight. He ground out and struck out in his first two at bats. But, when he came to bat with the bases loaded in a tie game in the bottom of the 6th, he picked a very good time for his first hit of the game. He went 1-for-4 (but reached on an error later in the game), but he was clutch tonight. And, as we saw at the end of this game, the Dbacks don’t win this game without him and his 2-RBI double.

8. Aaron Hill (2B) – Twice tonight (once on a throw from Justin Upton from RF and once while he was covering second), Aaron Hill had to practically levitate horizontally to stretch out and make a catch and save some runs. He may have gone 0-for-4, but he definitely saved a couple of runs in the 6th inning.

9. Ian Kennedy (P) – IPK wasn’t at his best today, but he harnessed it in and was able to pitch well enough to collect the W. 6.2IP, 9H, 3R/ER, 2B, 3K, 1HR. And, when you can collect your win, even when you’re not at your best, you must be doing something right.

9b. Joe Paterson (RP) – Joe Paterson came in with 2 outs, runners on first and second, and collected his first hold of the season after a 9 pitch duel with Aubrey Huff.

9c.David Hernandez (RP) – He owned the 8th inning last year and he owned it again tonight. He threw 9 pitches and collected 2 strikeouts and his curveball probably had more than a few people cursing on the San Francisco side of the field. And, its nice to see that the recent arrival of his second child might be keeping him up at night, but he hasn’t lost his edge.

9d. Geoff Blum (PH) – a brief pinch-hit strikeout in the 8th inning, but we’ll see more from him.

9e. JJ Putz (CL) – He came in in the 9th inning and made it more interesting than some Dbacks fans might have liked. He gave up 2 hits, 1 run, but closed it out, collected the save and started the Diamondbacks’ season off with a win and there’s no reason to complain.

Score: 6-5, Diamondbacks win; Record 1-0

Conclusion: Ryan Roberts – still clutch in 2012.

And, now we do it again tomorrow! See you then.