D-backs Rundown: Six in Five, D-backs Not Backing Down, J.D. on His Way
You may have noticed that this blog just popped up on your radar recently. When I say recently, I really mean yesterday. So, if you’re reading this, thanks for stopping by. I hope you make this a regular home and I’ll do my best to make sure I, well, do my best.
The impetus behind me starting Dbacks Insider is simple, really. I love baseball and because of that I decided to start a blog. That’s the short version of the story. In actuality, this is my second baseball blog and my goal is to have a blog that covers every MLB team along with their minor league affiliates. It’s an admittedly lofty goal but one I’m excited about. One thing’s for sure, I love what I do.
Another side of the story is that I live in Phoenix, which just happens to be a baseball mecca. Professional baseball is played here nearly year-round and it’s pretty easy to get completely submersed in it. So, if you’re in Phoenix and you see me hanging around a ballpark, please swing by and say ‘hi.’ Oh, and if you’re a huge D-backs fan and you love to write, shoot me a note on the contact form with a sample of your writing along with a bit about yourself. You too could be writing here about the Diamondbacks.
Six extra base hits in the fifth inning
Last night’s game against the Reds sure felt a lot like a get-right game. Of course, the Reds have a tendency of making teams feel all warm inside, what with their league-worst 5.28 ERA and all. The Reds play in the launching pad otherwise known as Great American Ballpark. The same place that leads the league in home runs allowed at 155 dingers, or 3.23 homers per game (ESPN HR Tracker).
So perhaps we shouldn’t be all that surprised that the Diamondbacks set a team record by hitting six extra base hits in one inning last night. That inning, the 5th, saw the entire batting order — from top to bottom — come to the plate. If you’re keeping track at home, the D-backs had four doubles, a triple and a home run in that inning as they put a six-spot on the board.
6 of the #Dbacks extra-base knocks came in the 5th, another team record set in the big #DbacksWin.#OurSeason pic.twitter.com/bPuX5t3MYP
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) July 19, 2017
You may recall that the Diamondbacks hung 10 runs on the Rockies in one inning while playing in Colorado on June 21. I double checked and in that inning the D-backs hit four doubles and five singles. I’d prefer the ten runs to the five runs and six extra base hits any day. But who am I kidding, it’s like picking between pots of gold.
D-backs aren’t backing down from the Dodgers
There’s been a lot of speculation about whether the Diamondbacks would be buyers or sellers, which, personally, I think was a complete joke. We all know that in major league baseball it’s hard enough to simply get a team into contention in any given year, so why anyone ever thought the D-backs, or any team in contention for that matter, would just sell is well beyond my comprehension.
If there was any doubt, Mike Hazen shot that down yesterday when he announced that the D-backs have acquired outfielder J.D. Martinez from the Detroit Tigers. The Diamondbacks sacrificed very little in the trade to get what could turn out to be a big piece that was missing from their lineup. And speaking of lineups, take a look at the D-backs projected lineup post-trade. Pretty awesome.
A new-look projected @Dbacks lineup with @JDMartinez14. #MLBTonight pic.twitter.com/79la1FxKwr
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 19, 2017
J.D. on his way to join the Diamondbacks
Word is that J.D. Martinez may join the Diamondbacks as early as today but it’s not known if he will actually be in the lineup or not. I won’t be surprised if he is and, quite frankly, I can’t wait to see him, Goldy and Jake Lamb going back-to-back-to-back. Of course, I can’t imagine opposing pitchers will be too excited about that though.
Mike Hazen spoke to Fox Sports Arizona yesterday about the acquisition of J.D. Martinez. Here’s that video clip:
.@Dbacks GM Mike Hazen on J.D. Martinez: “We felt like it was a good fit for us given where we currently stand.” pic.twitter.com/FWNA0dQpu0
— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) July 19, 2017
It’s clear that Hazen not only likes where the Diamondbacks are sitting right now, but he also believes this team can compete for, and win, a World Series title, stating, “I think anytime that you have the ability to acquire a bat that’s gonna fit in the middle of your lineup, you want to take that opportunity, given where we are.”
I won’t be surprised to see the Diamondbacks make another splash or two before the trade deadline. With a team like this, and a front office that firmly believes in this team, now is the time to go all in.
