WALK-OFF WIN TO START 2017
The Diamondbacks’ new era gets off to the perfect start with a walk-off win over Giants
The Diamondbacks opened their 20th season Sunday, and the team made it a memorable start, rallying for two runs in the ninth inning and a 6-5 victory over the San Francisco Giants. Chris Owings delivered the game-winning single to give new manager Torey Lovullo a win in his debut, and Arizona overcame two home runs by Giants ace Madison Bumgarner — who became the first pitcher in Major League Baseball history to hit two homers on Opening Day. While expectations are modest for the D-Backs this season, the team is anxious to shake the memories of its 2016 season, marred by numerous injuries and a 69-93 record. The teams are off today but play again Tuesday.
Opening Day matters. It speaks to the heart. It sets the mood and the tone. It couldn’t have gone better in 2017. The Diamondbacks delivered a beautiful setting, unparalleled weather, an encouraging no-decision and an unwelcome chunk of history. They rallied from a 3-0 deficit against one of the best pitchers in baseball. They rallied with two outs in the ninth inning against a high-priced closer. They gave their rookie manager a beer shower that blurred his vision and warmed his soul. And away we go. “These guys fought on Opening Day, and they’re setting the tone the way we asked them to,” said an emotional Torey Lovullo, who had about 75 friends and family members in attendance. “That’s what is really, really impressive. We’ve talked about having to earn things here. We know what we have to do. Today is a really big stepping stone. It’s brick one in the foundation.”
For the most of the afternoon, the game was a testament to the powers of Giants ace Madison Bumgarner, who carried a perfect game into the sixth inning and became the first pitcher in history to
hit two home runs on Opening Day. The latter traveled 415 feet.
He was on the brink of badly embarrassing the home team and mocking the dawn of a new era.
The game was also a mirror into trouble, where the Diamondbacks showed deficiencies in outfield defense. Their bullpen lacks definition and talent, and closer Fernando Rodney received the first boos of the season.
They also showed great resiliency. Their bench players came up big. The last position player to win a job came up with the game-winning hit (Chris Owings). A light-hitting catcher (Jeff Mathis) signed for his defense was a key cog in two big rallies.
“Man, it’s good to start the year off with a win,” Owings said.
Fans should also be encouraged by Zack Greinke’s performance. His elevated pitch count limited his output to five innings, and his velocity wasn’t exactly popping the catcher’s glove. His first inning was an ominous quilt that included 24 pitches, two mound visits from Mathis, two strikeouts, one display of frustration toward the home plate umpire and one audible grunt.
But his breaking ball was masterful. He found a rhythm in the third inning. Take away the home run he yielded to Bumgarner, and Greinke proved he can slice-and-dice his way through a lineup, winning with his brain and not his fastball.
Fortunately for the Diamondbacks, this was much different than his Opening Day start in 2016, when he was pummeled by the Rockies.
“I thought Zack grinded through his outing,” Lovullo said. “I think he was in a little bit of a fistfight. But when you look up and he’s given up only a couple of runs over five innings, I consider that a really positive outing.”
Fans also need to be reminded that attending a baseball game does not require silence or sitting on your hands. Or maybe the culinary creations inside Chase Field are the real saboteurs, making it impossible to scream with your mouth full.
Nevertheless, for the second consecutive season, Greinke reached a two-strike count with two outs in the opening inning. Once again, the fans were grossly silent, ignorant to how great baseball towns feed adrenaline to their starting pitcher in two-strike situations.
It happened again in the second inning, when Greinke faced Bumgarner, where a 1-2 count digressed into a walk. It was the least destructive at-bat Bumgarner would have all afternoon.
But the ninth-inning rally drew out something organic and real, a celebration that flowed from the stands all the way to the playing field. Owings noticed that a teammate had lost his cleat in the happy scrum. One game down, one missing shoe.
The Diamondbacks face an unenviable task in April. Can they tread water and stay relevant when 17 of the first 20 games come against 2016 playoff teams?
Before the game, President and CEO Derrick Hall reiterated that the club has asked Major League Baseball for a favor in the coming years, namely the opportunity to open a season on the road. The transition from their spring training headquarters to Chase Field is a journey that only covers 21 miles, and Hall believes the team has difficulty shaking their Cactus League mindset.
He said a road trip to open the season would provide the kind of “wake-up call” that might help the Diamondbacks avoid slow starts in the future.
Winning on Opening Day with a sturdy show of heart and conviction is not a bad alternative.
“You can’t beat Opening Day,” Owings said. “You really can’t.”
Not when 49,016 fans go home happy, eager to believe in a new era of baseball.