At home in Chase Field, the Arizona Diamondbacks opened the score quickly.
The team scored three runs in the first inning, then added a run in the second at bat.
In the American League Wild Card Game on Tuesday, there also were a lot of early runs.
After Arizona-starter Zack Greinke had retired the side in the top of the first inning, the Diamondbacks immediately struck on his colleague Jon Gray in their first at bat.
David Peralta led off with a single, next batter Ketel Marte (first pitch) also singled and Paul Goldschmidt (first pitch) followed with a 3-run homerun!
With one out, Jake Lamb singled and A.J. Pollock doubled and Gray then closed with two strikeouts, but the Rockies trailed 3-0.
Greinke retired the side again in the second inning and moments later, the D-backs added another run.
With one out, David Peralta singled again, then scored on a following triple by Ketel Marte to make it a 4-0 score.
That led to a pitching change, as Scott Oberg took over from Jon Gray and he struckout the next two hitters.
Colorado got its first runner in scoring position in the top of the third inning.
With one out, Greinke walked Jonathan Lucroy and gave a single to pinch-hitter Raimel Tapia, but they were left behind.
In the bottom of the third, Arizona scored two more runs off of new pitcher Tyler Anderson.
Jake Lamb led off with a single and he scored with one out when Daniel Descalso homered.
In March of this year, Descalso played in the World Baseball Classic for Italy.
...Zack Greinke pitching for Arizona...
...against the Netherlands in an exhibition...
...game on March 18 of this year...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
In the top of the fourth inning, Colorado not only scored its first run, but rallied off of Zack Greinke, who on March 18 threw five innings against the Netherlands Baseball Kingdom Team.
For the Orange-squad, this was an exhibition game between the Second Round and Final Round of the World Baseball Classic.
For the D-Backs, it was a game during Spring Training to prepare for the new season.
In the game, Greinke, who was the winning pitcher, struckout two batters, gave up six hits and one run.
Arizona won the game, 12-5.
In the top of the fourth, the Rockies made it a complete new ballgame, as the team rallied for four runs off of Greinke.
With one out and Nolan Arenado (fielder's choice) on first base, Trevor Story singled and Gerardo Parra followed with a runscoring single.
That brought Story to third base and he scored on a following grounder by Mark Reynolds.
With two outs, Jonathan Lucroy delivered a runscoring double and pinch-hitter Alexi Amarista added an RBI-single to narrow the deficit to 6-4!
That led to the departure of Greinke, who was relieved by Andrew Chafin, who was then supported with a nice sliding catch from centerfielder A.J. Pollock on a hit by Charlie Blackmon to end the inning.
On Tuesday, there were 11 runs in the first four innings with the starting pitchers leaving in the first and third inning.
Tonight, there were 10 runs in the first four innings and both starters also left early, respectively in the fourth and second inning.
Colorado made it an one-run game in the top of the seventh inning.
Reliever Robbie Ray, who had done well since coming on in the fifth inning, gave up a lead-off double into deep centerfield to Jonathan Lucroy, who advanced to third base moments later on a wild pitch.
With one out, Jorge De La Rosa was brought in to face Charlie Blackmon.
The powerhitter surprised with a sacrifice bunt that brought in Lucroy, while he himself was eliminated in a close play at first base.
Another pitching change followed, as Archie Bradley took over and he got a comeback-grounder to close the at bat, but the score was now only 6-5.
Moments later, Bradley also showed he was able to handle the bat!
In the bottom of the seventh, Jake Lamb led off with a single off of Pat Neshek.
With that, he became the third Arizona-player with three basehits tonight, the others being David Peralta and Ketel Marte.
With one out, Daniel Descalso walked, but Neshek followed with a strikeout.
That brought Archie Bradley in the batter's box and with a 2-2 count, he drove a line drive into deep centerfield for a triple!
In his career, Bradley was hitting only .098 and this was his first-ever extra-basehit.
It brought in two runs and lifted the lead to 8-5!
Bradley became the first pitcher to hit a triple in the postseason since Dontrelle Willis did it in 2003, while playing for Florida Marlins.
However, in the top of the eighth, Colorado made it an one-run game again!
With one out, Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story hit back-to-back homeruns off of Bradley to make it an 8-7 score!
With two outs, pinch-hitter Pat Valaika doubled, but a flyout then ended the at bat.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Arizona again added some insurance runs.
New pitcher Carlos Estevez began with a strikeout, but then gave up a single to Paul Goldschmidt.
That brought in closer Greg Holland, who got a force play-grounder from J.D. Martinez, which eliminated Goldschmidt.
Hereafter, Jake Lamb connected for his fourth basehit tonight.
Martinez and Lambe then advanced on a wild pitch and scored when A.J. Pollock followed with a triple.
This was the fourth triple tonight for Arizona, which led the National League this season with 39.
After an intentional walk for Daniel Descalso, Pollock scored with two outs on a surprising squeeze/bunt-single (!) by Jeff Mathis to make it an 11-7 score.
In the top of the ninth inning, 40-year old closer Fernando Rodney took the mound for Arizona.
He gave up a lead-off single to Ian Desmond, but struckout the next two hitters.
With the infield playing the shift for the lefthanded Carlos Gonzalez, Desmond moved up to second, then third base on fielder's indifference.
Moments later, Desmond scored on a single by Gonzalez, but a force out then ended the 'wild' game.
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Arizona defeats Colorado in high-scoring National League Wild Card Game
PHOENIX, Arizona (USA) -
Arizona Diamondbacks won the National League Wild Card Game against Colorado Rockies on Wednesday-evening (October 4) with an 11-8 score.
With the win, the Diamondbacks advances to the best-of-five National League Division Series against Los Angeles Dodgers, which opens on Friday in Los Angeles.
In the other NLDS, Chicago Cubs meets the Washington Nationals, also starting on Friday.
Last year, the Cubs won the World Series.
This season, the Arizona Diamondbacks were 93-69.
Tonight, the team played its first Wild Card Game.
The team last played in the postseason in 2011 after winning the NL West-title and was eliminated in the National League Division Series by Milwaukee Brewers (3-2).
The team won the World Series in 2001.
When the Diamondbacks played in its first Major League-season in 1998, it played its first-ever game against the Rockies!