Record 7-8. Change on 2025: +0.5. 5-inning record: 4-10-1.
The streaking Diamondbacks continued – and not in a good way. After winning five spring games in a row, they have now dropped four on the trot. They had the lead here early, courtesy of a first-inning home-run from catcher Gabriel Moreno, and Kohl Drake made it stand up until the third. There, the Giants scored three on his tally: Drake ended up allowing five hits over 2.1 innings, with no walks and two strikeouts. Kade Stroud (2), Jonathan Loasiga and Philip Abner were charged with the other four runs given up, but Paul Sewald, Brandyn Garcia and Isaiah Campbell posted hitless innings. Sewald struck out two of the three batters he faced.
Arizona got their second run in the fourth, on two-out doubles by Pavin Smith and Jose Fernandez. Fernandez added his team-leading third home-run of spring in the seventh, and a Jean Walters RBI double in the ninth completed the scoring for the Diamondbacks. Fernandez now has an OPS of 1.148. That’s third among Arizona hitters with 10+ at-bats this season, behind Tommy Troy (1.167) and Jordan Lawlar (1.164). The youth movement is an action, but given how many of our best hitters (plus Carlos Santana, hohoho) are off on WBC duty, it’s not much of a surprise. Alek Thomas, Luken Baker and Pavin Smith are all also over a thousand.
Tomorrow, it’s off past SnakePit Towers, to Goodyear for a game against the Reds. Kevin Ginkel gets the start in what is presumably a bullpen game for Arizona, unless there’s something I don’t know about. 1:05 pm first pitch for that.