Diamondbacks 5, Dodgers 2: Taylor Made

Winning in LA. Who knew?

Record: 26-64. Pace: 47-115. Change on 2004: -5.

Here we are folks, just about at the midway point of this…..interesting season.

Widener is back and I am thirsty, so join me on my quest to quench my thirst and hopefully enjoy a baseball game.

Beer 1: Now That’s What I Call Hops, Vol 1 by Tombstone Brewing Co

Hops. All the hops.
Rojas gets things going in the 1st, fighting off an inside pitch from Price for a single. Regrettably Escobar pops out but Walker gets a ground rule double immediately after to give Peralta a chance to be a hero with ……oh…Price hits him to load the bases. This game got interesting quick.

Sadly Cabrera can’t make an omelette of all those eggs on the bases and we go in to the bottom of the 1st missing out on a golden opportunity. 0-0

Widener has returned! We’ve not seen him in a minute or two, but despite not starting in quite a while he gets through the Dodgers bats quite easily in the 1st. Hopefully a sign of things to come. 0-0 going in to the 2nd.

Pavin Smith draws a walk to lead off the 2nd, but after a Varsho out and a Widener sac bunt Pavin gets stranded at second as Ahmed pops out.

Color me impressed. Widener cruises through the Dodgers lineup yet again in the 2nd. I like this kinda party!

Beer 2: All the People Will be Checked the Handbags IPA by Tombstone

[Jim: You’re just making up names for the beers at this point, aren’t you?]

In case you’re wondering, yes, I’m at the Tombstone North location here in Phoenix. They’re titans of the hops and I was thrilled to death when they opened this northern outpost during Lockdown.

Still no runs for us in the 3rd, and despite doing quite well overall Widener gives up a homer to our least favorite former Dback (AJ). Still a game at 0-1, but why the hell did it have to be him with the solo shot.

I keep forgetting this is a bullpen game for the Dodgers, for now it’s Nunez on the mound facing Pavin, who promptly pops up. Bleh.

Varsho and Widener go down to follow Pavin’s example, thus our bats are once again silenced and thus we enter the bottom of the 4th. 0-1 Dodgers

Widener gets out of the 4th in relative eases, along with notching his 5th K of the night. Not to shabby for someone who has been out for a few weeks.

Beer 3: Kiltlifter Scotch Ale by Four Peaks Brewing Co

Escobar!!!!!!!!!!! It must be an omen that as soon as I get this AZ beer that Escobar gets a two run blast to right. Woot!!!!!!! 2-1 Dbacks!

Widener’s wheels start to fall off in the 5th as he walks the first 2 Dodgers. Luckily he forces a pop out before he’s relieved by De Geus and De Geus then does his job and gets out of the 5th keeping our lead intact.

Pavin gets things going in the 6th with a 1out double off of Vesia, but nothing going besides that as our bats once again strand another Snake.

Mantiply avoids any run mantiplication in the bottom of the 6th, which I have to say is quite something to see our bullpen not failing at life. 2-1 Dbacks going in to the 7th.

Ahmed leads off the 7th with an out, but a Rojas walk, followed by Escobar reaching on and error, then followed by Walker getting HBP to juice the bases for the Freight Train. Peralta comes through for us all and drives in Rojas with an infield single bringing the score to 3-1 Dbacks.

The Dodgers get one back in the bottom of the 7th to make it 3-2 Dbacks, with that runner being the beloved Pollock once more. Ugghhhh

Despite Ahmed getting his second steal of the game in the 8th he was left stranded by Rojas, so it now falls to our bullpen once more to keep us winning or at least in it. Let’s see where they take us shall we?

Cocktail 1: Old Fashioned (just got back home)

Going in to the bottom of the 8th seemed like a fine time to pour what I hope will be a night cap.

Reddick makes a spectacular sliding catch in foul territory to notch up the first out here in the 8th. That play seemed to be just the right medicine to get Ramirez through the next two Dodgers and we’re off to the 9th! 3-2 Dbacks.

Walker and Peralta reach with one out to get things going in the 9th, with Betts barely making a play on Peralta’s single, which could have easily driven Walker home had it gone by him. Say what you want about Betts; he’s good.

Uceta walks Vogt (with many boos filling the stands) to load the bases for Pavin Smith, who strikes out after a hard fought at bat.

Varsho immediately after earns himself a walk to drive in our 4th run of the 9th with the bases still full and the Dodgers forced to remove Uceta from the game. Nice. 4-2 Dbacks

LOLOLOLOLOLOl

The Dodgers walk in another run to make it 5-2, but that’s all the charity runs we get as we head off to the bottom of the 9th.

Soria’s magical inning caps off an amazing bullpen performance and we got ourselves a W after losing the last 9 in a row in LA. Hell yea!

Good night all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Beers and whistles. by Jim

A brisk Gameday Thread, helped by the Diamondbacks playing actual competitive baseball in Dodger Stadium, for the first time in about two years. Present in the Gameday Thread were: AzDbackfanInDc, AzRattler, Diamondhacks, GuruB, Jack Sommers, James Attwood, Justin27, Makakilo, Michael McDermott, NikT77, Oldenschoole, Preston Salisbury, Schilling2001, Snacks&Dbacks, Snake_Bitten, VW Beetle, gzimmerm, kilnborn, since_98. Just one Sedona Red comment, but the SB Nation overlords would probably form a mob with torches if I picked that one, I suspect… Sorry, gzimmerm. 🙂 So it goes to kilnborn, who had more reason than most to celebrate the Diamondbacks’ victory.

Might be a bit tougher for the D-backs tomorrow, as Caleb Smith faced Walker Buehler. Wes will be bringing you an interesting recap of that one, perhaps regardless of the game… Another late start, a 7:10 pm first pitch.