The San Francisco Giants handed the Arizona Diamondbacks a 7-4 loss at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Saturday in spring training play. Despite Jose Fernandez's 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, and two RBI effort at the plate, the Diamondbacks could not pull even when it mattered. Kohl Drake worked 2.1 innings on the mound, allowing 3 earned runs on 5 hits. The Giants out-hit the Diamondbacks 10-7 on the day. The loss is a minor bump as the Diamondbacks continue fine-tuning ahead of Opening Day. The exhibition season is about preparation, and today provided the kind of reps the coaching staff needs to see.
Key Performers
Jose Fernandez was the offensive highlight at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, and two RBI. His power was on full display throughout the game. The Diamondbacks will be hoping for more of the same as the spring continues.
Gabriel Moreno also contributed, going 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI, Jean Walters chipped in, going 1-for-1 with a double and an RBI, and Ildemaro Vargas added to the attack, going 1-for-3. The Diamondbacks showed flashes of offense but could not piece together the big inning they needed.
On the other side of the diamond, Jesus Rodriguez led the Giants offense with a 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI day. Will Brennan also contributed, going 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI. Jean Carlos Sio added a 1-for-4 with an RBI effort as well. The Giants offense proved to be too much for the Diamondbacks pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Kohl Drake took the loss after running into trouble, working 2.1 innings while allowing 3 earned runs on 5 hits with two strikeouts. He threw 49 pitches in the outing. The coaching staff will review his performance as they continue mapping out the pitching plan for the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 6.2 innings of work, allowing 4 earned runs while striking out eight. The Diamondbacks continue to sort through their relief options as they build their Opening Day bullpen. Every inning pitched in the spring is an opportunity for pitchers to make their case for a spot on the roster when the games start counting.
Among the relievers, Paul Sewald stood out with 1.0 innings of scoreless work, striking out two. It was an impressive showing that could factor into roster decisions.
How It Happened
The Diamondbacks struck first, pushing across a run in the first inning. Giants struck back with three runs in the third. The Diamondbacks answered with a run in the fourth. Giants responded with two runs in the fifth. Giants pushed across a run in the seventh. The Diamondbacks struck back with a run in the seventh. Giants answered with a run in the eighth. The Diamondbacks responded with a run in the ninth. The Giants were able to score in four separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. Giants out-hit the Diamondbacks 10-7, with both teams playing clean defense. A crowd of 12,815 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
Despite the result, the Diamondbacks will take the lessons learned from this game and move forward. Spring training is about preparation and evaluation, not wins and losses, and the coaching staff gained valuable information about the roster today. There is still time to make adjustments before the regular season begins, and games like this one are part of that process.