Hill Hits for Second Cycle, D-backs Win 9-3

Nicholas Valenzuela — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 04:53:41 +0000

The Arizona Diamondbacks’ (39-37) offense broke out in a big way in game one of a three game series against the Milwaukee Brewers (34-42), wining 9-3.

Milwaukee was able to strike first against Arizona ace Ian Kennedy, when Aramis Ramirez grounded out to third base, scoring Norichika Aoki from third, and putting the Brewers up 1-0.

Arizona responded in the top of the second inning when Henry Blanco hit a ground rule double to right field, plating Paul Goldschmidt and tying the game up at 1-1.

June 29, 2012; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Aaron Hill (2) hits a single in the third inning during the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-US PRESSWIRE

They would add to their lead in the top of the next inning when Willie Bloomquist would score on an infield single by Justin Upton. In the very next at bat, Jason Kubel would single to right field to score Aaron Hill and put the D-backs up 3-1. Goldschmidt would follow with a three-run home run to right center field, and put the snakes up by the score of 6-1.

Arizona would tack on two runs in the top of the fourth inning off of a two run home run by Hill, scoring Bloomquist, and putting the team up 8-1. Hill would also triple in the top of the sixth inning to add another run to their lead. With the triple in the top of the sixth, Hill was able to complete his second cycle of the season.

Ian Kennedy bounced back from a rough outing against the Chicago Cubs to pitch seven strong innings, giving up six hits and only one earned run.

The offensive outburst was a welcomed surprise as the snakes were not able to put up any offense against the Atlanta Braves in their previous series.

Arizona will send their most consistent starter (to this point of the season) to the mound tomorrow when Wade Miley starts in the second game of the three game series.

D-Backs vs Brewers: Series Preview with Benjamin Orr of Reviewing the Brew

Tyler Roberts — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 15:15:07 +0000

To preview the Arizona Diamondbacks next series starting today against the Milwaukee Brewers I exchanged five questions with Benjamin Orr, a staff writer at Fansided’s Brewers site, Reviewing the Brew to get an inside perspective of what the Brewers have been through this season. Here are Orr’s answers to the five questions I asked him.

Roberts: First off, how has the Brewer offense coped without one of it’s main catalysts in Prince Fielder helping Ryan Braun shoulder the load ?

Orr: Well, it’s been sluggish all season. While Fielder did add a lot, I don’t think even having him this year would make that huge of a difference considering how the rest of the line-up is doing. I wrote a few articles back on how Ryan Braun was really a one man team offensively. Aramis Ramirez has been turning a corner and has been batting around .314 for the month of June. Norichika Aoki started off great, that is when Ron Roenicke decided to finally start him, but his production has somewhat been at a standstill lately. Corey Hart has been hot then cold so the inconsistency hurts. As for the rest of the team, it’s been really abysmal. Rickie Weeks pretty much forgot how to hit and with the Brewers going through a plethora of first basemen and shortstops, it’s been hard to keep up constant production. Lately though, the bats seem to be waking up, but Braun is definitely still the driving point behind it. Hopefully whenever it is Jonathan Lucroy comes back, he can pick up where he left off.

Milwaukee Brewer outfielder, Ryan Braun, follows through on a hit against the Chicago White Sox during interleague play. Braun and the Brewers will play host to the Diamondbacks for a three-game series. (Image: Dennis Wierzbicki-US PRESSWIRE)

Roberts: Offensively Braun has been having a good year, but who are the Brewers who aren’t household names anywhere other than Milwaukee that we should know about?

Orr: Well, it’s hard to say, but I’d have to say Norichika Aoki. This is Aoki’s first year in America and he’s done pretty well. As I mentioned before, he’s hit somewhat of a slump now, but the home runs he has been hitting has been surprising. Aoki is also really fast not only around the bases (as he did hit an inside the park home run this season), but in the outfield as well which makes him great because Roenicke can put him anywhere out there without worry. Pitching wise, I’d have to say Michael Fiers. Fiers made his debut in September last year and was called up to fill the pitching void when we lost Chris Narveson and then Marco Estrada (who is back and filling in for the injured Shaun Marcum). In his five starts this season, Fiers is 2-2 with a 2.70 ERA and has accumulated 31 strikeouts in 33.1 innings pitched.

Roberts: What has happened to Yovani Gallardo this season, he seems to be struggling mightily despite normally being the staff ace. Why is that?

Orr: It’s not really that Gallardo has struggled, it’s just more or less his ERA ballooned after pitching against the St. Louis Cardinals twice so far this season. While Gallardo has struggled in division games, outside of those, his outings have been pretty fair, giving up three runs or less. He still goes long into games so it helps the team overall. He’s also been the victim of some tough luck losses, in which he only gave up two runs. I really have no concerns about Gallardo for the rest of the season because he’s been pretty decent outside of NL Central games and if he can continue to pitch well, we’re fortunate to have him alongside Zack Greinke.

Roberts: Zack Greinke has been pitching phenomenally all season, yet is being mentioned in just about every trade rumor regarding the Brew crew? Are the Brewers really going to be sellers this early in the season?

Orr: I doubt it. Greinke likes Milwaukee and we like him. While the downside would be losing Greinke, we would get quite a bit in return for him, but I doubt that he’s going anywhere before the trade deadline. If Greinke does go anywhere, it’ll be after the season when he’s a free agent. The Brewers’ front office has a mission of trying to resign both Greinke and Marcum after the season. In all honesty, they’re both good, but we’d rather try to keep Greinke if push comes to shove. If the Brewers are sellers on anyone, I’d actually say it’d be the back-up catcher George Kottaras. With Martin Maldonado doing well and Lucroy coming back sometime in mid-July, there’s no reason to have three MLB capable catchers on an NL roster so Kottaras will more than likely be the odd man out.

Roberts: The Brewers are leading the league in one of the strangest statistics in baseball: hit by pitches. Why do you think they are getting plunked so much?

Orr: I really couldn’t tell you, but the one player in particular that gets hit a lot is Rickie Weeks. I think maybe they’re leaning into pitches to get on base because the offense has been so sub par this season. Okay, that was a joke. Honestly, it’s very strange and it’s just bad, or good luck, however you want to put it. It helps the OBP rise for players and really, as long as it doesn’t cause a season ending injury, the Brewers need more baserunners.

I want to thank Benjamin Orr for taking the time to answer my questions and all the Brewer fans which have read this article. We wish you luck in the three-game series and hope it will be a good one. The series begins tonight at 5:10 p.m. MST with Arizona’s Ian Kennedy taking the mound against Milwaukee’s Randy Wolf.

For all things Venom Strikes like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @venomstrikes, you can also follow me on Twitter @roberts_843.

To read my answers to Orr’s questions make sure you check out Reviewing the Brew at Noon EST on June 28.

Dbacks Should Entertain Thoughts of Looking at Aramis Ramirez

Scott Allen — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:31:43 +0000

All I heard at the end of the season was how the Arizona Diamondbacks should go looking for another power hitter, another bat in the lineup. Many suggested that third base would be one position to fill. Being an advocate of Ryan Roberts myself, I was happy enough with just leaving him as the starter. He hit 19 home runs and 65 RBI in 2011. The biggest issue was his batting average of .249. Now that Aramis Ramirez has said he isn’t returning to the Chicago Cubs, he just might be that guy I would consider, no matter the cost.

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Venom Strikes » Aramis Ramirez

Hill Hits for Second Cycle, D-backs Win 9-3

D-Backs vs Brewers: Series Preview with Benjamin Orr of Reviewing the Brew

Dbacks Should Entertain Thoughts of Looking at Aramis Ramirez