The Athletics handed the Arizona Diamondbacks a 13-3 loss at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Wednesday in spring training play. Despite Ildemaro Vargas's 2-for-3 with a home run and an RBI effort at the plate, the Diamondbacks could not overcome a sizable deficit. Ryne Nelson worked 3.1 innings on the mound, allowing 3 earned runs on 2 hits. The Athletics out-hit the Diamondbacks 14-5 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
Ildemaro Vargas was the offensive highlight at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a home run and an RBI. His power was on full display throughout the game. The Diamondbacks will be hoping for more of the same as the spring continues.
Danny Serretti also contributed, going 1-for-1 with a home run and an RBI, Jorge Barrosa chipped in, going 1-for-3, and Pavin Smith 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, Tyler Soderstrom led the Athletics offense with a 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, and three RBI day. Andy Ibáñez also contributed, going 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI. Max Muncy added a 3-for-3 with a home run, a double, and two RBI effort as well. The Athletics offense proved to be too much for the Diamondbacks pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Ryne Nelson got the start, battling through his outing, working 3.1 innings while allowing 3 earned runs on 2 hits with four strikeouts. He threw 56 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 4.5 innings of work, allowing 6 earned runs while striking out four. 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.
How It Happened
The Diamondbacks struck first, pushing across a run in the first inning. Athletics struck back with two runs in the second. The Diamondbacks answered with a run in the second. Athletics responded with a run in the third. Athletics pushed across a run in the fourth. Athletics plated five runs in the fifth. Athletics added two runs in the seventh. Athletics tacked on two runs in the eighth. The Diamondbacks countered with a run in the ninth. The Athletics were able to score in six separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. Athletics out-hit the Diamondbacks 14-5, with 3 errors committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 9,244 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.