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Arizona Diamondbacks Game Notes: The Evolution Begins!

By Joseph Jacquez

Mar 2, 2016; Salt River Pima-Maricopa, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Chris Owings (16) in the first inning during a spring training game at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 2, 2016; Salt River Pima-Maricopa, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Chris Owings (16) in the first inning during a spring training game at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports /
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Its Finally Here Arizona Diamondbacks fans! Opening Night, the day we have been waiting for six months is mere hours away from commencing!

Game Info:

What: Rockies (0-0) @ Diamondbacks (0-0)

When: 6:40 P.M. MST

Where: Chase Field (Roof Open)

TV/Radio: FSAZ/MLB.TV/Arizona Sports 98.7 F.M.

Pitching Matchup: LHP Jorge De La Rosa (0-0 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Zack Greinke (0-0 0.00 ERA)

Game Notes:

  • The D-backs have won eight of the past nine meetings at Chase Field between the two teams.
  • The D-backs are 6-2 in their last eight Opening Day games.
  • Paul Goldschmidt has reached base safely in 35 consecutive games against the Rockies, only three shy of the club record.
  • Opening Day ceremonies begin at 3:30 with the Street Festival.
  • When Zack Greinke throws the first pitch, he will be the ninth different pitcher to take the mound on Opening Day for the Diamondbacks, and the fourth in the last four seasons. Of the nine starters, just two were left-handed.
  • Andy Benes, Javier Vazquez, Dan Haren, Wade Miley, and Josh Collmenter have only made one Opening Day start.
  • Brandon Webb and Ian Kennedy made consecutive Opening Day starts, and Hall of Famer Randy Johnson made six straight opening starts.
  • Johnson won three times on Opening Day, the most in Diamondbacks history.
  • Greinke finished second in National League Cy Young Voting last year finishing with a league leading 1.66 ERA in 222.2 innings pitched. In 32 starts, he struck out 200 batters with a 2.76 FIP, and a mind-blowing 0.844 WHIP.
  • Right-handed and left-handed hitters both hit under .200 against the 32-year-old ace last season.
  • This spring, Greinke complied a 1.88 ERA walking only one batter in 14.1 innings.
  • Greinke is 22-7 with a 2.26 ERA in 263.o career innings pitched in March and April, and he will be making his second career Opening Day start. His first came as a member of the Kansas City Royals in 2010 against the Detroit Tigers.
  • He pitches well at Chase Field coming into Monday’s start with a 23.1 scoreless innings streak, the second longest in stadium history behind Hideo Nomo. Now he’ll get to pitch there with the home team.
  • Greinke has the all-time best record (29-7) against the NL West in his career.
  • In 16 career starts (17 games) against the Rockies, Greinke is 7-3 with a 2.40 ERA in 82.2 innings pitched.
  • De la Rosa is the Rockies’ all-time leader in wins (78) and strikeouts (877) and will make his third-straight Opening Day start.
  • The 35-year-old southpaw finished 2015 with a 9-7 record and a 4.17 ERA in 26 starts.
  • Interestingly enough, De la Rosa was selected by the Diamondbacks as an international free agent on March 20, 1998 and was traded from the Red Sox to the Diamondbacks on November 28, 2003 a deal that sent Curt Schilling to Boston.
  • In 22 starts in his career against the Diamondbacks, he is 9-8 with a 2.94 ERA.
  • In 59.2 career innings at Chase Field, he has just one win compared to seven losses with a 4.22 ERA in ten starts. The lone victory came last season.
  • Carlos Gonzalez is hitting .318 with 3 HR and 4 RBIs in 22 career at-bats against Greinke.
  • Welington Castillo is a career .400 hitter against De La Rosa as is David Peralta.
  • Chris Owings, who projects to see starting time against lefties, owns a .444 clip against De la Rosa. Owings is a .214 career hitter against left-handers.
  • The D-backs went 13-6 against the Rockies last season, and 26-31 against the rest of the division.
  • De La Rosa and Greinke were teammates on the Royals from 2006-2007.

Here are the lineups for both teams written out by skippers Walt Weiss and Chip Hale.

Rockies:

CF: Charlie Blackmon

SS: Trevor Story

RF: Carlos Gonzalez

3B: Nolan Arenado

LF: Gerardo Parra

1B: Mark Reynolds

C: Nick Hundley

2B: D.J. LeMahieu

P: Jorge De La Rosa (L)

Diamondbacks:

2B: Jean Segura

CF: Chris Owings

1B: Paul Goldschmidt

C: Welington Castillo

RF: David Peralta

LF: Yasmany Tomas

3B: Jake Lamb

P: Zack Greinke

SS: Nick Ahmed

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