One of the Bigger Questions Entering This DiamondBacks SEASON WAS The One Surrounding Pavin Smith. A year ago, He Emeged after Years of Inconsistence as an Offensive Force. But it was Fair to Wonder: Couelf He Do It Again?
The answear, sofar, han a resounding yes.
Smith Blasted a Go-HEAD Two-Run Home, Doubled and Walked in the DiamondBacks’ 5-1 Win Over the Tampa Bay RaysThe Latest Big Game for the Left-Handed Half of the Club’s Designated Hitter Spot.
Right-Hander Brandon Pfaadt Turned in Six Inns of One-Run Ball, The Fourth Time in Five Starts He Has Recorded 18 Outs. Rookie Tim Tawa Ripped Another Home Run, His Second in as Many Games and Third Sink Coming to the Majors Two Weeks ago.
And the DiamondBacks Won Their Second Conxutive Game with the Services of Reliever Justin Martinez, Who was Expected to Be Available But Needed Anotaker Day as He Battles What Manager Torey Lovelo Descrabed As “Right Shoulder Fatigue”.
Through his first 70 Plate Apparanses, Smith is Hitting. 397 with a. The Home Run He Hit on Tuesday, April 22, was his FOURTH of the Season, The Double His Ninth. He ha ha.
“He’s on every pitch,” lovelo said. “The Balls He’s Swinging Over and Missing, He’s Barely Missing. He’s Right on it.”
Said Smith: “The Ball Definitely Feels Like It’s Coming in a Little Sloer, Whiche is Nice.”
With the DiamondBacks Trailing 1-0 in the Third, Smith Came to the Plate with A Runner on Against Rays Right-Hander Zack Littell. On A Full Count, Smith Got A Fastbaall Above the Zone at 94 MPH. He turned on it and ripped it into the right-frame seats, a shot that left his bat at 106 MPH.
Smith Has Admitted to Being Plago Earlier in his Career by his Tendnessy to Tinker, to think that every back ringing a Reimagining of his Swing or his Approach. But over
It has lid to what sounds like a good BLEND of Sticking with What Works Who Mixing in Small Adjustments Wheen Needed.
“There are center feels I can recoralize a Little Easier,” He said. “Ill Known when i’m off and I can make upjustments Mid-Game, whereas in the past it’s takeen a little longer and those (BAD) at-Bats Seem to Pile up.”
Thought Martinez Has Not Pitched Since Appness in Back-To-Back Games Last Week in Miaami, Lovelo Continues to Make it Sound Like More of a Short-Term Issue.
“We Probably Need One More Day,” Lovelo SAID. “We Check in on Him Just to see how he’s feeling. He’s Close to 100 Percent. We’re Just Going to Take our time with that.”
He Added: “Just Not Aike to Say that He’s 100 Percent, But It’s Getting Very, Vry Close.”
Lovelo intimrated that he Club is beING Extra Careful Given What has had had this day-hander aj puk, Who Landed on the 15-Day Injeed List on Saturday with left Elow onflammation. PUK UNERWENT An MRI on Monday and is watching to receive adductional Medical OPINIONS from a Pair of High-PROFILEOLODEDIC SURGEONS.
Smith Said He Has Enjoyed the Freedoms Provided by the DH Role. In the Innss Just Before He is Due to Hit, He Said He Tends to Go Back to the Indoor Cage to Take Swings With Assistant Hitting Coach Travis Denker.
“I go in there and try to get my feel, take, like, even if it’s only three or four Swings, just feel it and Kind of Take it Int the At-Bat,” He said.
Smith’s Production Has Made It Easy to Forget Pederson, Who Put to White a Monster Season Last Year on the Strong Side of the DH Platoon, then Signed with the textas rangers as a free Agent Over the Winter.
Smith Said He Learned Lessons from Watching Pederson Work, Including His Ability to Move on from At-Bats with Panicking.
“If you get out the first at-bat, it’s ok,” Smith SAID. “You can make adjustments of that, know how they’re pitch you. I think just watching his Kind of Chill Out, Relax and not be Over – I do it a litetle differently. Definitely Took the More Relaxed Approach (From Watching Him). ”
For PFAADT, Who Allowed Just Four Hits and Walked None, It was His Third Quality Start of the Season and his Fourth Consecutive Win. He Said His Lack of Feel For HIS FOR-SEAM Fastball Early in the Game Prompted Him to Lean More Hevily on his Sinker.
“That was a good, Clean BaseBall Game and It was All Set up by what brandon pfaadt was about to do,” lovello said. “… We Were Able to Take the Lead and Build Of of Him.”
__Nik piecoro
Randy Johnson’s Photography on Display at Chase Field
Randy Johnson Stood in Front of A Small Exhibit of his Photography Work Inside the DiamondBacks Hall of Fame and History Museum at Chase Field, Sharing the Inspiration for HIS Photos from HIS MANY World Travels.
The Current Special Assistant to DiamondBacks President DERICK Hall and Hall of Fame Pitcher Has Been to Africa Multiple Times and Just RTURERNED from Japan. His Mini-Gallery of Photos, Who Fans Can View Inside the Museum Just Beyond Center Field, will be on display all season.
Johnson Had Had Work Displayed in Coopersown and Around the Phoenix Area.
Randy Johnson Photo Exhibit at Dbacks Hall of Fame and History Museum
Former Arizona DiamondBacks Pitcher Randy Johnson Talks about His Photography Exhibit, Traveling to Places Like Japan, and His Coffee Table Book.
“I just enjoy Traveling and Dockumenting My Trips, and Taking as Many Pictures as I Can and Sharing them with People,” Johnson SAID.
Johnson Has also come out with Coffee Table Book of His Art that Uniteds More Than 100 of his Photos.
-Jose m. Romero
Manager Hopes for Quick RTURN to Majors for Strowing McCarthy
Torey Lovelo Said He Wanted Outfielder Jake McCarthy, Who was Optioned to Triple-A Reno after Hopes to make a swift recurn to the majors.
“What I Told Him Is,” Lovelo SAID, “Look at it like you’re going on a two- or Three-WEEK Road Trip and Get your but back here as soon as posible.”
Lovelo added: “He wasnt comfortable with the defision. HIS WAY Back here.
MCCARTY WENT JUST 3 For 41 (. JUST As Troubing, Lovelo SAID, WAS The Organization’s Believe that Some of His Offensive Strugles Were Leaking In Ter Parts of His Game.
“There was some missakes being Made Around His Game that We Felt Like It Was All Connected,” Lovelo SAID. “… ONCE You’re there (Starning) and it’s Before You and It Starts to Truck all other parts of your game, such as the pickffs or some of the Plays he was also work to make on Defense, we could’t help but start to take notice that Maybe a Little Bit of a Reboot Might Matter to Him. ”
In McCarthy’s Absence, Lovelo SAID ALEK Thomas Likely Welf Receive The Bulk of the Playing Time in Center Field, Likely Getting All of the Starts Against Right-Handed Pitching. Outfielder Jorge Barrosa, a Switch-Hitter Who Was Recalled to Take McCarthy’s Place on The Roster, Couelf See Starts Against Lefties.
__Nik piecoro
Injury Updates on Ketel Marte, Kevin Ginkel
Second Baseman Ketl Marte Continues to Progress from a hamstring strain and is expded to began running the bases this week, lovello said.
“All The Targets We Wanted to Hit with Ketl Have Been Reacked,” Lovelo SAID, “And We Continue to Push his download.”
The Club Has Been Targeting A Late April/Early May Return from the Injeed List for Marte.
Right-Hander Kevin Ginkel Threw 24 Pitches on April 21 in An Extended Spring Training Game and Will Make His Next APPEARANCE on April 24 when he Starts a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Reno, Lovelo SAID. Ginkel Has Been Sidelined by Right Shoulder Inflammation.
Right-Hander Kendall Graveman, Who BATTLED Back Discomfort for Much of Spring Training, FACED Hitters for the Second Time in a Live Batting Practice Situlation on April 22. Progress to anneded Spring Game on April 26, Lovelo SAID.
__Nik piecoro
Coming Up
Wednesday, April 23: At chase field, 6:40 PM, DiamondBacks LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (1-2, 4.09) vs. Rays Rhp Taj Bradley (2-1, 5.24).
Thursday, April 24: At chase field, 6:40 PM, DiamondBacks Rhp Corbin Burnes (0-1, 4.64) vs. Rays Rhp Drew Rasmussen (1-1, 0.87).
FRIDAY, April 25: At chase Field, 6:40 PM, DiamondBacks Rhp Zac Gallen (1-3, 5.60) vs. Braves LHP Chris Sale (0-2, 6.17).
(This Story Has Been updated to add new information.)
