The Arizona Diamondbacks’ homestand continues at 12:40 p.m. Thursday with the finale of a four-game series against the Colorado Rockies. The game can be seen on Bally Sports Arizona. Return here for news, updates and more.
Bench coach Jeff Banister ejected
Diamondbacks bench coach Jeff Banister was ejected in the bottom of the fifth after Pavin Smith took a called third strike from home plate umpire Marvin Hudson. Smith said a few words while walking back to the dugout but it was something from the coach that riled up the umpire.
The Diamondbacks had runners on first and second with one out in the inning. Jose Herrera took a called third strike for the second. Smith then came up and also took a called third strike.
The Diamondbacks trail the Rockies 2-0 in the sixth after a run-scoring single by Harold Castro drove home Ryan McMahon who had doubled.
Starter Zach Davies is out of the game, being replaced by Kyle Nelson with two out in the top of the sixth. Davies threw 96 pitches and 61 strikes.
Arizona has six hits in the game, two of those by Christian Walker. One of those was a double in the fourth that marked his 500th career hit.
Colorado takes early 1-0 lead
The Rockies haven’t had many leads in the previous three games of the series. And in the last two games they scored a grand total of one run. But it was the visitors striking first and pushing across a run in the second off Zach Davies.
Mike Moustakas walked, advanced on a single by Nolan Jones and score on one by rookie Brennan Doyle.
The Diamondbacks have managed just one hit off Colorado starter Connor Seabold, that being a leadoff single by Christian Walker in the second. He advanced no further however.
In three innings thus far Davies has allowed four hits and walked one and struck out one. He has thrown 49 pitches, 30 for strikes.
Adapting to new rules hasn’t been a big problem for Merrill Kelly
Arizona Diamondbacks veteran righthander Merrill Kelly is the first to admit he wasn’t quite sure how all the new rule changes in major league baseball were going to go over. He’s a traditionalist and didn’t necessarily see any need to make changes.
Two months later he has changed his tune on that topic.
“I think everyone’s still trying to get used to it. There are still situations in the game when you lose track of it a little and you kind of get sped up a tiny bit. You look about to get the pitch and there’s four seconds left. So I think there still is a bit of a learning curve but it’s kind of ironed itself out since the beginning of the season,” said Kelly, holder of a 6-3 record and 2.83 ERA.
“I thought I was going to hate it, honestly. The first couple of games it felt super fast and when you’re in it, you kind of get the pace and the cadence down. I definitely enjoy the pace of the game now.”
Most pitchers had the balance of spring training to work through the intricacies of the new rules but Kelly was late in reporting because he was participating in the World Baseball Classic as part of Team USA so the new rules are not quite second nature to him yet.
“For me, it was a little different because I missed a lot of spring training with the clock because the WBC didn’t have the clock so I only threw only two games with it before we got into the season. So the first few games were definitely sped up for me,” he said.
Most have acknowledged that the rules favor the Diamondbacks and their style of play and that has been apparent in the first three games of the series against the Rockies. In the first three games of the series, all won by Arizona, the Diamondbacks have 10 stolen bases, five of those by newly recalled Jake McCarthy.
Dinelson Lamet, Colorado’s starter in Wednesday’s game, was called for a balk with runners on base.
Arizona’s 53 stolen bases are fourth in baseball, trailing only Tampa Bay (77), Pittsburgh (60) and Oakland (54).
“With the speed we have it definitely benefits us more than other people. We saw it last night with Lamet balking at second. Pitchers already had to worry about us running but now the fact that they’re on a clock and have a deadline to throw the pitch, that’s a whole different dynamic,” he said.
Major league baseball numbers have indicated games are an average of 30 or so minutes shorter with the changes and Kelly can see where the fans would appreciate that.
“Me just watching the game now, you didn’t realize how much dead time there was in the game with guys just walking around the mound, guys waiting to get in the batter’s box. Or guys throwing to first seven times in one at-bat. I think the fans are engaged just because there is more action going on.”
Christian Walker on his 100th HR: ‘It’s all the good feels, for sure’
Christian Walker connected on the 100th home run of his career in the fifth inning on Wednesday night, doing so on a mammoth shot that banged high off the Chase Field batter’s eye in center field during the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 6-0 win over the Colorado Rockies.
Walker did not downplay the significance of the milestone.
“It’s awesome,” he said. “It’s an honor. I’m proud of it, for sure. It’s cool to take a sec and kind of reflect on the career. It’s humbling, motivating, it’s all the good feels, for sure.”
Walker said he allowed himself to think about how his career seemed to be on shaky ground in the spring of 2017, when he bounced around from the Orioles to the Braves to the Reds before landing with the Diamondbacks. It took him a couple more years beyond that until he finally established himself as a big leaguer.
“Just thinking about when I was on waivers there in 2017 and for a few years, up and down, trying to earn my keep as a first baseman with a lot of really good first basemen around,” Walker said. “I never really doubted it, but there were times when it was just unknown. Looking back on that, it’s cool to see.”
Walker set a career high last year with 36 home runs. With 12 homers this year at roughly the one-third mark of the year, he is on a similar home run pace this season.
Walker said he retrieved the ball as a memento. He said he needs to build a display of some sort at his house, at which point the ball will go next to his Gold Glove Award from last year.
Rockies at Diamondbacks, 12:40 p.m., Chase Field
Thursday’s Diamondbacks-Rockies pitching matchup
Diamondbacks RHP Zach Davies (0-1, 5.68) vs. Rockies RHP Connor Seabold (1-2, 5.94).
Davies gave up two runs in 3 1/3 innings against the Red Sox in his first start off the injured list following a seven-week absence due to a left oblique strain. … His pitch count was limited in that outing to only 75 pitches. He is expected to be permitted to throw closer to 90 pitches, which is more in the range of what he threw in most starts last season. … Davies faced the Rockies four times last year, posting a 4.05 ERA in 20 innings. … Seabold will be making his sixth start since moving into the rotation in early May. His first two weren’t bad, but his past three have been rough, with 15 runs (12 earned) allowed in 12 2/3 innings. … He faced the Diamondbacks in relief on April 29, giving up two runs in 3 1/3 innings in an outing at Coors Field. … Seabold throws his fastball in the 92-93 mph range. He also has a slider, change-up and curveball. He generates a below-average amount of swing and miss.
Wednesday game recap:Diamondbacks, paced by Tommy Henry, shut out Rockies; Christian Walker slugs 100th career HR
Coming up
Friday: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Merrill Kelly (6-3, 2.83) vs. Braves RHP Charlie Morton (5-5, 3.59).
Saturday: At Chase Field, 7:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Ryne Nelson (2-2, 5.37) vs. Braves RHP Spencer Strider (5-2, 2.97).
Sunday: At Chase Field, 1:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (7-2, 2.72) vs. Braves RHP Michael Soroka (0-1, 6.00).
Early Diamondbacks-Rockies reading
Stealing bases:Diamondbacks renew interest in running game with Jake McCarthy’s return
Razzle dazzle:Lourdes Gurriel Jr. having fun with post-game fashion statement for teammates
Power play: How Diamondbacks’ catcher Gabriel Moreno can add pop at plate
‘Who I am at my core’: Lovullo’s relentless positivity withstands every Diamondbacks test
RIP bird, redux: Diamondbacks’ Gallen hits bird in warmups, channeling legend of Big Unit