6/28 Game Recap: D’back Offense Shut Down Again
By Thomas Lynch
On paper, this was a rough matchup for the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Atlanta Braves sent Julio Teheran to the hill, the fourth real good pitcher in a row the D’backs were facing while Arizona opposed with Randall Delgado. Plus, it was Chipper Jones night in Atlanta in which the organization retired the future Hall of Famer’s number. The odds were stacked against the Snakes. The game went according to script as Atlanta prevailed by a score of 3-0. The D’backs managed only four hits off Teheran in six innings and zero off three Braves relievers over the final three frames. The shutout loss was the first on the year tossed against Arizona, who was the only team not to be blanked before tonight.
Randall Delgado pitched OK but not good enough in the D’backs’ 3-0 defeat in Atlanta. Image: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
On the plus side, if there is one, Delgado pitched reasonably well in his return to Atlanta going six innings and allowing only two runs on eight hits while striking out three and issuing three walks. He endured a rocky first inning giving up a run on a double by Justin Upton. However, he got out of further trouble by striking out Dan Uggla with runners on second and third to end the inning. The only other run came on an Andrelton Simmons home run to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning. The Braves added a third run in the bottom of the eighth when Uggla led off against Zeke Spruill, another former Brave, with a triple and scored on a bunt single by Reed Johnson. The D’backs reached second base only twice all night and never really threatened the Atlanta staff. It sounds bad but there really is no shame in getting shut down by good pitching. It is one of those things that all teams, even first place ones, go through during the course of a long season.
On Saturday, Ian Kennedy gets his first start since his ten game suspension and will be opposed by D’back nemesis Tim Hudson. Hudson has lost only once to Arizona in his career but that defeat cam earlier this season on May 15th. First pitch is scheduled for 4:05 PM EST, 1:05 PM MST.
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