Mancini was the hero, delivering a walk-off home-run
Record: 12-10-1. Change on 2024: +3. Five inning result: 12-9-2.
Trey Mancini homered with two outs in the ninth to give the D-backs a come from behind victory at Salt River, and send a capacity crowd of 13,695 home happy. Corbin Burnes had another solid outing, allowing one run on four hits over four innings, with no walks and four strikeouts. Three of the hits and the run came in the third, but a huge double-play with runners on the corners avoided further damage. Ryan Thompson and Juan Morillo pitched scoreless innings in relief, but the results were less good for John Curtiss (three runs on three hits and a walk) and Kyle Nelson (four runs on three hits and two walks) in their frames. The latter’s spring ERA is now 12.71 and an Opening Day spot seems in question.
Lourdes Gurriel got Arizona on the board with an RBI single in the first, and Josh Naylor’s fourth-inning homer doubled the lead. But Arizona did most of their damage against old friend Tyler Gilbert in a four-run fifth, most of the damage coming on a bases-clearing double by Randal Grichuk. The D-backs went into their last at-bats trailing 8-7. Garrett Hampson drew a one-out walk, and Mancini then unloaded on a pitch, sending it 423 feet to center for the win. Gurriel had a pair of hits, though is still looking for his first XBH of spring, and also stole a base. Naylor and Pavin Smith each had a hit and a walk. Smith’s preseason OPS is now up to .883, haters!
Oh, yeah, Gameday managed to break itself, freezing for an extended period due to the above play. I know pitchers could re-enter games in spring, but wasn’t aware hitters could get two hits in the same at-bat. 🙂 Tomorrow, it’s off back to Peoria, and hopefully this time, the game won’t be canceled! Brandon Pfaadt gets the start as the D-backs face the Padres, with a first pitch at 1:10 pm.