2023 Diamondbacks: The 3 best moments so far

Many are the good moments that happen when you win 8 of your first 13 games.  Especially when 5 of those wins are against the Dodgers and 2 are against the NL-best Milwaukee Brewers.

It’s been an impressive start for the Diamondbacks to say the least.  Now finished with their home stand, they head all the way to Miami to take on the Marlins for a 3-game set.  The Marlins are 6-7 and sit 3rd in their division.

This Arizona team has been fun to watch.  Out of all the grand moments this exciting team has experienced so far in this young season, there were 3 that stuck out to me the most.  Can you guess any of them?

Diamondbacks moment #1: Kyle Lewis comes up clutch in win #1

It was game 2 of the season.  All hope looked lost as Arizona hadn’t scored a run all game; it looked like they were well on their way to starting the year 0-2.  Then, Kyle Lewis changed everything.

Allow me to set the scene.  It is the top of the 8th, LA is leading 1-0.  Nick Ahmed starts the inning by grounding out.  1 out.  Then, Evan Longoria laces a double (106 MPH) into left field, and all of a sudden the Diamondbacks are in business.

With a lefty on the mound, starter Josh Rojas takes a seat on the bench, and pinch-hitting for him is righty Kyle Lewis.  Lewis grabs his bat and heads up to the box, with one goal in mind; getting his team back into the game.  Not only did Lewis get Arizona back into the game, he won it for them with one swing of the bat.

On a 2-1 pitch, Lewis received a slider that got too much of the plate, and he did not miss it.  He crushed it into the left-field seats, and just like that, the Diamondbacks took the lead and never looked back.  Kyle’s home run was the X-factor in win #1 for Arizona…

Diamondbacks moment #2: Wacky comeback vs Padres

Do all good things happen for the Diamondbacks in the 8th inning?  Must be!  This wacky comeback saw Arizona score 4 runs in the 8th to snatch the lead from San Diego.  How they did it though, was the wacky part.

Arizona was down 5-4 in the final game of a 2-game series with San Diego.  To lead off the top of the 8th inning, Jake the Snake hit a single into left field.  He then proceeded to steal 2nd and then Alek Thomas did his job and got McCarthy to 3rd on a ground out.  

With McCarthy on 3rd base and 1 out in the inning, Geraldo Perdomo played a little small ball and laid down a beautiful bunt to the right side of the infield.  First baseman Matt Carpenter tried to pick it up but to no avail.  Jake scored and Perdomo was safe at first.  Beautiful beautiful beautiful small ball to tie the game at 5.

Perdomo would then steal 2nd and score on a base hit by Jose Herrera; giving the Diamondbacks their first lead of the game (6-5).  After a Josh Rojas walk and a Ketel Marte single, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. would hit a sac fly, padding the Diamondbacks lead to 2; after the sac fly, another very interesting thing happened.  

With runners on the corners and two outs Ketel Marte took off for 2nd base on an attempted steal; but wait, he stopped halfway there?!  Yes, intentionally.

As the catcher Austin Nola threw down to second base, Josh Rojas broke for the plate and scored on a double steal!  Are you kidding me?!  Is this high school baseball or the big leagues?  I loved it, and so did everyone else that watches baseball!  Unless you are a Padres fan of course.  

The Diamondbacks completed the comeback and wound up winning 8-6. 

Diamondbacks moment #3: Zac Gallen dominates the Brew Crew

After struggling mightily in his first two starts of 2023, Gallen made the Milwaukee hitters look like they were supposed to be in another professional sport in Monday night’s 3-0 win.  Which was insanely impressive considering coming into Monday night, the Brew Crew averaged the 3rd most runs per game in the MLB.

Gallen’s final stat line from Monday reads as follows: 7 innings pitched, 96 pitches, 0 runs, 1 walk, 11 strikeouts, 17 swings and misses, and 1 win.  Can’t think of a better way to respond to adversity.

I just have to say, that knuckle curve is disgusting…  🤢