#GenerationDBacks - a BigJDotCom MLB 18 The Show Production

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ARIZONA DIAMONDBACK STATISTICS

The Diamondbacks lead the National League West at (11-4), but is it fool's gold? This team is struggling at the plate, hitting just (.231) as a team through the first 15 games, which is 29th of 30 teams.

Positive signs for the DBacks are the fact that they lead all of baseball in runs allowed (37) and ERA (2.23).

Can this team continue to get this type of pitching throughout the year? That remains to be seen, but you have to think that this team will improve offensively. Right now, Steven Souza Jr and Nick Ahmed are struggling at the plate and Goldy is having a below average April.

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APR 17-19: SAN FRANCISCO (9-10) @ ARIZONA (12-6)

April 17: Arizona 3, San Francisco 2
April 18: San Francisco 6, Arizona 3 (10)
April 19: San Francisco 4, Arizona 3

The Arizona Diamondbacks took the opener of a three game series with the San Francisco Giants, holding on for a 3-2 victory. But the win may have been a costly one as Zack Greinke left the game in the third inning after taking a line drive off of his foot. Also, AJ Pollock appeared to injure his hand sliding into second on an RBI double in the sixth. He remained in the game but will have x-rays after the game.

In the game the DBacks, who have struggled offensively as of late, grabbed a 3-0 lead in the sixth inning. Steven Souza Jr hit a long home run to center of of Johnny Cueto in the fifth. AJ Poloock hit an RBI double in the sixth and Alex Avila then grounded into a 6-4-3 double play, allowing Paul Goldschmidt to score.

Shelby Miller pitched great in relief of Greinke, giving up just one run in 5 1/3 innings of work. Yoshihisa Hirano came on and got a huge out to end the eighth with runners on second and third to preserve a 3-1 lead. Archie Bradley then came on in the ninth and struggled, giving up back-to-back singles and a double to Evan Longoria to cut the DBacks lead to 3-2. He intentionally walked Joe Panik to load the bases with no one out. But Bradley then struck out Brandon Crawford and Hunter Pence before getting Kelby Tomlinson to ground out to second to end the game as he earned his sixth save.

The San Francisco Giants took the middle game of this three game series thanks to an Evan Longoria tenth inning grand slam off of Archie Bradley. Jake Lamb hit a two-out, two-run triple in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at 2-2, but the Giants were able to rally in the tenth for the win. This game featured two great pitching performances as Jeff Samardzjia and Patrick Corbin dueled in this one. Samardzjia went eight plus innings, giving up the two runs on just four hits. He left the game with a 2-0 lead in the ninth but Tony Watson could not hold the lead, giving up the triple to Lamb. Watson would get the victory though as he was the pitcher of record. Patrick Corbin pitched seven plus innings and allowed two runs and scattered eight hits. He struck out eight and did not issue a walk. Both Samardzjia and Corbin also hit doubles in the game.

The San Francisco Giants used the long ball to take the rubber match of their three game midweek series as they edged the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-3 on Thursday evening. The Giants hit three home runs, including a Brandon Belt two-out, two run home run in the top of the eighth off of Fernando Salas. Salas (1-3) lost for the second consecutive night as he could not hold the lead.

The loss dropped the DBacks (12-6) into a first place tie with the Colorado Rockies (13-7) in the National League West. The San Diego Padres (7-13) come to town for a three game weekend series beginning on Friday night.

Notes: X-rays to both AJ Pollock and Zack Greinke after Tuesday evenings game were both negative. Pollock played the last two games of the series and Greinke is expected to make his normal start in the rotation on Sunday afternoon.

Evan Longoria and the Giants used the long ball to win this series.

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APRIL 20-22: SAN DIEGO (9-14) @ ARIZONA (13-8)

April 20: San Diego 6, Arizona 2
April 21: San Diego 6, Arizona 2
April 22: Arizona 3, San Diego 1

The Padres grabbed the series opener thanks to a five-run third inning off of Zack Godley. The Padres scored the five runs on six singles. Godley had not allowed a run in the first 23 innings that he had pitched in 2018. That was all that they would need as they cruised to a 6-2 victory behind Clayton Richard, who picked up his first win on the season. Manuel Margot was the offensive star for the Padres, going 3 for 5 with a double and triple.

Notes: Ildemaro Vargas injured himself in the top of the first diving for a ball at third and will go to the 10-day DL with a forearm injury. Jack Reinheimer has been recalled from Triple-A Reno to take Vargas' roster spot.

The Padres took game two by an identical 6-2 score. This time it was Hunter Renfroe who provided the offensive spark. He went 3 for 4 with two home runs and four RBIs. He hit two-run home runs in the seventh and eight inning to help the Padres rally to the victory. Dinelson Lamet (2-2) worked eight strong innings to pick up the win for San Diego. Taijuan Walker (0-2) took the loss, giving up four earned runs, despite striking out nine Padres in just 5 1/3 innings.

The Arizona Diamondbacks were able to salvage the finale on Sunday, defeating the Padres 3-1 to end a four game losing streak. Zack Greinke picked up the win to move to (4-0) on the year. He went six innings, allowing one run on five hits. He struck out six and did not walk a batter. He also drove in the game winning run, lining a two-out single to center in the bottom of the fifth to score Jarrod Dyson.

The DBacks will now hit the road as they travel east to take on Philadelphia and Washington beginning on Tuesday evening in the City of Brotherly Love.

Paul Goldschmidt has been struggling at the plate, but made a web gem to end the game on Sunday.

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APRIL 24-26: ARIZONA (14-10) @ PHILADELPHIA (11-14)

April 24: Arizona 8, Philadelphia 7 (12)
April 25: Philadelphia 10, Arizona 5
April 26: Philadelphia 4, Arizona 3

The Arizona Diamondbacks opened up their six game east coast road trip with a high scoring 8-7 win in twelve innings over the Philadelphia Phillies. A.J. Pollock went 4 for 5 with two singles, a double and home run and drove in three including the game winner in the top of the 12th with a double to left, scoring Ketel Marte. Yoshihisa Hirano (2-0) picked up the win in relief, pitching two scoreless innings, and allowing just one hit. The DBacks hit three home runs in the ball game including two in the first inning as they jumped out to a 4-0 lead. After the Phillies tied it in the fourth, the Dbacks rallied with three in the fifth, capped off by a Jake Lamb two-run bomb. The Phillies would get those back in the bottom half, scoring three times on three hits. Reliever Shelby Miller came on and walked in a run and gave up a game tying sacrifice fly to Scott Kingery.

The Phillies grabbed the second game of the series thanks to a six-run fifth inning that was capped off by a Carlos Santana grand slam. Robbie Ray (1-2) took the loss, going just 4 1/3 innings and allowing seven earned runs. He struck out seven, but walked four. Jerad Eickoff (2-2) picked up the win for the Phillies, going eight innings and allowing three runs on six hits. He struck out four and did not walk a batter. A.J. Pollock went 2 for 4 with a home run (7th) and double in the loss.

Archie Bradley fell apart in the ninth inning on Thursday afternoon, walking in the game winning run as the DBacks blew a 3-0 lead in the ninth to drop their sixth game in their last nine. Maikel Franco led off the ninth with a solo home run. Carlos Santana then walked on four pitches and Jorge Alfaro lined a one-out single to center. JP Crawford singled back up the middle past a diving NIck Ahmed to cut the lead to 3-2. Bradley then uncorked a wild picth to move the tying runs into scoring position. Cesar Hernandez popped out to shortstop Nick Ahmed for the second out. He intentionally walked Odubel Herrera. Roman Quinn then laid down a perfect suicide squeeze to score Alfaro to tie the ball game. Bradley then walked Aaron Altherr on five pitches to force in the winning run. The blwon save was Bradley's first and was a shocking end to the series in Philly.

The loss dropped the DBacks (14-10) into third place in the National League West behind Colorado and Los Angeles. Arizona will now head to Washington to take on the National League East leading Nationals (15-10) for a three game weekend series to end the road trip.

Carlos Santana's grand slam in Wednesday evening's game paced the Phillies.

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APRIL 27-29: ARIZONA (17-10) @ WASHINGTON (15-12)

April 27: Arizona 8, Washington 5
April 28: Arizona 5, Washington 4
April 29: Arizona 4, Washington 3 (11)

The Arizona Diamondbacks opened up a big series between division leaders on Friday night with an 8-5 victory over the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park in DC. The DBacks scored four times in the opening inning and led 7-0 behind a strong start from Taijuan Walker. Walker (1-2) won his first game of 2018, going seven plus innings and allowing just one run on four hits. He struck out nine and walked just one. The Nats made it interesting late as Matt Adams hit a three run shot off of reliever Yoshihisa Hirano, but the DBacks were able to hold on to take the opener. Paul Goldschmidt went 2 for 5 with a home run (3) and two RBIs in the victory.

Jake Lamb suffered a strained tricep in pregame warmups and was placed in the 10-day DL after the game. Christian Walker was recalled from Triple-A Reno to take his roster spot.

Arizona took game two behind a Paul Goldschmidt big night. They defeated the Nats 5-4 thanks to Goldy going 3 for 4 with a triple, home run and two RBIs. The Dbacks got off to another quick start in a matchup of the top two pitchers in the National League. Zack Greinke entered the game (4-0, 0.61) while Stephen Strasburg was (5-0, 1.21). Arizona scored single runs in the first and second. Steven Souza lined and RBI single in the first, scoring David Peralta, and Peralta hit a solo home run in the second. They would build the lead to 4-0 in the fifth on a two-run home run by Paul Goldschmidt, his fourth.

The Nats would cut the lead to 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth as they finally got to Greinke. Michael Taylor lined an RBI single to center and pinch hitter Howie Kendrick hit a two-run home run to left center.

An RBI single to center past a drawn in infield scored Paul Goldschmidt in the seventh. The Nats would get that back on a Greinke wild pitch, scoring Matt Adams. Fernando Salas came on in relief to get the DBacks out of the inning, stranding two runners. Archie Bradley worked the ninth to pick up his eighth save in nine tries.

The DBacks completed the sweep on Sunday afternnon, but it took extra innings as they escaped the nation's capital with a 4-3, eleven inning win. Jeff Mathis singled home Steven Souza Jr with the winning run. Archie Bradley pitched the bottom half to pick up his ninth save. Souza went 4 for 5 with two doubles, two runs scored and an RBI.

Arizona (17-10) is back in first place in the National League West as they return home to host the Dodgers and Astros. They will play 14 of their next 16 at Chase Field.

Goldy is heating up and that is bad news for the rest of the league.

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AMERICAN LEAGUE STANDINGS


NATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS

[johnstone1987]

Pretty good start man. Tight race in the Division right now though.

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Quote: Originally Posted by johnstone1987

Pretty good start man. Tight race in the Division right now though.

Thanks for checking in. The injury bug has hit me the current series with Los Angeles. Should have an update in a day or so.