Monday, April 30, 2012

Rookie Patrick Corbin pitches the D-backs past the Marlins, win 9-5

The D-backs called up lefty Patrick Corbin to the mound on Monday to take on the Miami Marlins. The result was a solid Big league debut and a win. It looks as though Corbin will replace Collmentor in the rotation for the moment. The rookie lefty had 5.2 IP allowing 8 hits, but with 6 Ks. The d-backs jumped out to a 7-run lead thanks to two two-run shots by Cody Ransom and Justin Upton. That was a large enough cushion for Corbin and the D-back's shaky bullpen, who came away with a 9-5 win.

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Miley pitches the D-backs past the Marlins, 8-4

Welcome to Wade's world, Miami. Wade Miley was just a young prospect last season who showed some talent, but nothing flashy. So far, this season has been different. He's been a solid lefty who's been promoted to the starting rotation and Sunday's performance on the mound showed us his talent. Miley pitched 6.1 innings, allowing only one hit with 6 Ks, dropping his ERA to 1.29. As a young pitcher, there was no way he would go the distance, which is why the final score is somewhat misleading. Mike Zagurski (I've never heard of him before) allowed three hits and three runs due to Giancarlo Stanton's 3-run shot while only getting one out. Bryan Shaw would eventually close out the game for the D-backs, giving Miley his third win of the season.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Marlins walk-off against the D-backs, win 3-2

Every baseball fan can agree that the worst way to lose a game is in walk-off fashion. The best way to win one is also in walk-off fashion. Too bad the D-backs are currently 0-2 in the category of walk-offs. Remember the Todd Helton blast that I blogged about a while ago? This Saturday, Hanley Ramirez broke out of his 0-26 slump by smacking a screaming liner down the left field line for a Marlins walk-off win against the Diamondbacks. Once again, the bullpen didn't deliver in the key moment of the game.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Saunders pitches a three-hitter against the Marlins, D-backs win 5-0

If I remember correctly, Saunders was awful at the start of last season. Anyways, this season he's gotten off to a much better start (maybe it's cause of the beard). The veteran of the Diamondback's rotation pitched a three-hitter against the Miami Marlins, lowering his ERA to a stellar and MLB leading 0.90. He won't keep it up, that's for sure, but the D-backs won't need their pitchers to toss three-hitters in order to win, which is also for sure.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Braves rough up Collmentor and the D-backs, 10-2

Ouch. It really is a new season, isn't it. The Braves look like a talented and young team, and Josh Collmentor looked like a talented young pitcher, but he was hammered hard by Freddie Freeman and the Brave on Thursday Night. First off, Collmentor is lucky that he's still in the D-backs rotation and losing a game like this doesn't help his argument for staying with the Snakes. His delivery is a tricky thing to handle if you haven't seen it that many times since he learned to pitch by throwing axes, but once you settle down against him, all he throws is a fastball and a change-up. I'd send him to either Reno or the Bullpen so he can develop. Baseball is a harsh game and success is short lived.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

D-backs bullpen falters again as they lose to the Pirates, 5-4

Ian Kennedy hit the mound today in Chase Field to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates, a team that he's had great success against. Too bad it's a new season. Pittsburgh roughed him up early as he let up 4 runs in 6.0 IP. However, the D-backs showed off their tough and resilient snake skin nature as the struck back to tie the game off a rare Johnny Mac homer in the 8th inning. However, the D-backs Bullpen once again blew an opportunity as Andrew McCutchen singled in a run against Bryan Shaw at the top of the 9th inning. Juan Cruz, a former Diamondback, got the save for the Pirates.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Coyotes take Game 3 from Chicago, win 3-2 OT

The scoring in this game was the classic score and response. Chicago would score and Phoenix would answer; however, this is not the system you want when the game goes to OT. Or is it? Mikkel Boedker slid the puck past Corey Crawford 13:15 into the OT period to give the Coyotes a win in the United Center. Unfortunate for both teams was the Raffi Torres hit on Marian Hossa. Hossa had just passed the puck when Torres delivered a brutal hit, but the hit did not get him a trip to the box. In fact, there was a referee not that far from the spot of impact and he skated past the injured Hossa who was sprawled across the ice. What is unfortunate is that Hossa, a key player for the Blackhawks, is injured and also that Torres will probably receive a suspension from the stingy league, even though the hit wasn't initially penalized. The replay does show that Torres becomes airborne, but only once he makes contact with Hossa.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Diamondbacks top the Rockies on Jackie Robison Day, 5-2

Jackie Robinson Day is a great day for baseball. Every player wears the number 42 in honor of the great pioneer of this game. The day felt better since the D-backs won, but it was only so they could salvage a win against the Rockies. Trevor Cahill got his first win as a Diamondback while wearing 42 and Chris Young homered again while wearing 42. The Diamondbacks return to Chase Field tomorrow to start a series against the Pirates.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Rockies walk-off on Arizona thanks to Helton's 2-R Homer

This game was unbelievable and disgusting. Unbelievable because the D-backs reliable reliever, JJ Putz, blew a save and a one-run cushion in the middle of a rainstorm with two outs. Disgusting because my dad called the walk-off shot. Old reliable for the Rockies delivered on a miracle two-run shot that fought the wind to sneak in for a homer. This is the second night in a row that a D-back reliever lost the game, which is odd and concerning given that the Snakes were supposed to have a solid Bull-pen. I guess both my old man and the Rockies' old man have some game left in them.

Blackhawks top the Coyotes to even series, win 4-3 OT

This game was almost exactly like the game two nights before. Chicago out shot the Coyotes, yet the Coyotes held the lead for most of the game. That is until a Patrick Sharp shot snuck past goalie Mike Smith to tie the game with only 6 seconds remaining. This forced OT, but the outcome was different. 10:36 into the OT period, the Coyotes committed a crucial turnover right in front of their own net, leading to a quick, easy goal by Bryan Bickell, sending the series to Chicago, tied.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Coyotes take Game 1 from Chicago in OT, win 3-2

This guy will be the key to the Coyotes success in the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs. I don't know about you, but I feel that this year's team is different than the Bryzgalov-led teams in the past two seasons. Don't get me wrong, Bryzgalov was a great goal-tender, but he lacked a certain clutch factor that we've seen from Mike Smith in the final regular season games. Even though Phoenix is a 3rd seed and a division champ, they only have 97 points and are matched up against a star-studded Chicago Blackhawks team. Game 1 started out with an early goal by the Blackhawk's captain, Jonathan Toews. The air was sucked out of the building for two reasons: Chicago's dominant offense produced a goal against the defense-minded Coyotes, and Phoenix is not a true Hockey town, so they don't know how hockey truly works. Hockey is won by quality shots, quality goal tending, hits, and blocked shots. That's where the Coyotes won the game. Phoenix scored twice in the second period and out hit Chicago 48-22. However, Chicago would out shoot Phoenix 45-34, which led to a Brent Seabrook tying goal with only 15 seconds left in regulation. The game would go to sudden-death overtime, where the more offensively gifted team usually wins. However, this is also where the team who wants it more will win. Martin Hanzal scored the game winner 9:29 into the OT period, giving the Coyotes Game 1 of the series.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

D-backs come back from six down, sweep the Giants

Lyle Overbay and Josh Collmentor both made their first appearances for the D-backs on Sunday, showing mixed results. The oldie showed he's still got some pop, but the rookie pitcher from last year had a poor start as he only pitched three innings and let up six runs, including a two-run jack from Buster Posey. Wade Miley would come into the game to relieve Collmentor, pitching 4 hitless innings. Overbay would then hit a two-run double. A couple of innings later, Ryan Roberts would hit a two-run jack, followed by an Overbay homer. In the bottom of the 7th, Pablo Sandoval and Willie Bloomquist would get into a scuffle as the bases were loaded. Miguel Montero would then hit a blooper to score one run, followed by another Chris Young blooper that scored Aaron Hill as Buster Posey came off home plate to let him score. The D-backs would not relinquish their lead, leading to their first come-from-behind victory of the 2012 season.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

D-backs top the Giants again, 5-4

The Diamondbacks were on National TV for the first time in a looooooong time and they opened up the game with a loooooong Aaron Hill home run. In fact, Aaron Hill would hit two homers off of a shaky Bumgarner. The D-backs lit up Madison Bumgarner for 4 runs in the first two innings. San Fran would indeed make interesting though, as the Panda (Pablo Sandoval) would hit a two run jack off of Daniel Hudson. Other than two pitches that got away for homers off of D-Huddy, the No. 2 man in the Arizona rotation had a solid game. The Giants would eventually sneak back, down only by one run, but JJ Putz would again close the game.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Arizona Diamondbacks open the 2012 season with a win over the Giants

The Diamondback notched a win on Opening Day 2012 as Ian Kennedy out-dueled  Tim Lincecum to lead the D-backs to a 5-4 win. The day opened with the Giants threatening to score, but they did not. In the bottom of the 1st inning, Willie Bloomquist led off the game with a hit, then Chris Young stepped into the batters box. The top-hitting snake during spring training picked up where he left off, by hammering a Lincecum fastball into the outfield bleachers at Chase Field. Paul Goldschmidt later homered that inning, but the Giants would tie things up in the top of the 6th inning. However, in the bottom of the 6th, Tatman, Ryan Roberts, would tattoo a double to score two runs and put up the D-backs up for good as JJ Putz would seal the opening day victory.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Toronto Blue Jays open the 2012 season with a win over the Indians in 16 innings

Well that's over... Thank goodness. The Blue Jays opened 2012 with the longest Opening Day game in MLB history at Progressive Field by topping the Cleveland Indians by a score of 7-4 in 16 innings. Toronto found themselves in an early 4-0 hole, but scored 3 runs in the top of the 9th to send the game to extra innings. Both teams had opportunities to score in the additional innings, but neither team could score. That is until JP Arencibia walked to the plate. On the first pitch, he attempted to sac bunt to move ahead the baserunners. After given the green light to swing away on the very next pitch, Arencibia hammered a homer, deep into left field, to give the Blue Jays their first victory of 2012.

Monday, April 2, 2012

No. 1 Kentucky takes home the title to Lexington after topping the Jayhawks, 67-59

The Kentucky Wildcats have completed their quest. They have won the 2012 National Title, solidifying their bid as one of the greatest men's college basketball teams. The super frosh led Kentucky to a 41-27 halftime lead in what looked like a blowout, but Bill Self must've told his team something in the locker room cause they came out playing inspired basketball. Kentucky toned down their style of play, allowing Kansas to slowly come back into the game. The Jayhawks would cut a once 18 point deficit into only a 6 point window. They could've cut it into three with a minute to go, but there was a traveling violation, effectively icing the game because Kentucky was automatic with their free throws, unlike Calipari's '08 Memphis team. This solidifies John Calipari's legacy as an elite college basketball coach.