Bright Lights and Booming Bats Take Down the Arizona Diamondbacks

Mandatory Credit: Gary Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

In front of a capacity crowd at Chavez Ravine, the Arizona Diamondbacks fell to a miserable 5-15 on the year with an 8-6 loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Just when optimism peeks its head up from despair and destruction, the crushing force known as the Dodgers, eliminates all hope.

Playing in the same division as the best team that money can buy can be a “hard-knock life.”  Contrary to belief, Kirk Gibson embraces this type of atmosphere.  Blame whomever you would like for the Diamondbacks inefficiencies, but it boils down to the aspect that the Los Angeles Dodgers are willing to spend more, and more often, than anybody else in baseball.

After a rudimentary first two innings for both clubs, the D-Backs kicked it into gear in the third.  Everything from sacrifice bunts, to errors, to hit by pitches, to bad baserunning occurred, with Arizona escaping with a large crooked number to put themselves ahead 4-0. 

Unfortunately, there were way too many outs remaining and not enough out pitches in the arm of Mike Bolsinger. 

Dancing around fire in the third, Bolsinger was burnt in the fourth when Andre Ethier cranked a three-run home run to cut the lead down to just one. 

The following frame consisted of more of the same for the belaboring Bolsinger, who had the bases loaded on three consecutive singles, then headed for the showers as Martin Prado booted a groundball, leaving him much worse for wear.  By the time the third out was recorded, five runs had crossed the plate, two pitchers had been battered, and the Dodgers were ahead 8-4.

With the slump the entire Diamondback offense has been in over the past few weeks, it’s a miracle within itself that four runs crossed earlier in the game.  Showing some form of life in the top half of the eighth, Martin Prado brought home both Paul Goldschmidt and Miguel Montero to cut the lead in half, to 8-6. 

Even in their last licks, Goldschmidt stepped to the plate as the tying run and the chance to be a hero, but went down flailing to Kenley Jansen.  While Mariano Rivera may be retired, his cutter lives on in the form of Jansen, who has adopted the pitch as his surrogate child.

In his second game back, Cody Ross was not much better.  Going hitless in both contests to start his season, Ross is now up to a 0-for-9 stretch to begin his year.  At the unfortunate expense of Ross, the Diamondbacks are not in a position where they can wait for players to turn it around.  Sitting with the worst record in baseball and an unhappy fan base, anyone not performing is subject to the wrath of the front office.

Performing a miraculous job out of the bullpen to keep the game within striking distance was Trevor Cahill.  Going for three perfect innings, Cahill struck out four and faced the minimum.  Of course, his ERA still sits at a hideous 7.48, but he may have found himself a niche in the ‘pen.

For an 8-6 final, the game sure moved along quickly.  Taking not even three hours, the high-scoring contest pales in comparison with that of Friday night’s marathon. 

Here’s to hoping Sunday is another quick encounter that doesn’t completely annihilate the spirit of those in Phoenix.  Josh Collmenter takes to the mound in opposition of Josh Beckett at 4:10 P.M. down at Dodger Stadium. 

Thankfully, this is the last time they have to encounter the Dodgers until mid-June when they make a vaunted return back to the House that Vin Scully Built.