Taking two of three in San Francisco, the Arizona Diamondbacks have won their first four series of the season.
By nature, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt of the Arizona Diamondbacks is even-measured and tempered. Given the marathon which is the major league baseball season, Goldschmidt continually reminds listeners that the personality of a player should not be too high nor sink to unknown depths. Because the season stretches through one-half of the calendar year, there is little concern if a player gains great heights or dips to unimaginable lows.
Given the way Goldschmidt broke out of the gate this season, his even and taciturn personality served well. After the Diamondbacks first nine games, the perennial National League All-Star was hitting .100 but failed to draw any concern. During this run, manager Torey Lovullo allayed fears and told Call to the Pen, during Arizona’s initial homestand of the season, that “hurricane Goldschmidt is looming.”
At AT&T Park this week, the gale winds began to blow, sheets of rain poured on the Giants, and Hurricane Goldschmidt roared through the Bay Area. In three games against the Giants, Goldschmidt went 5-for-12 with four extra-base hits and two homers. His first round-tripper, and first of the season was a dramatic smash that came with two-out in the ninth inning Tuesday and tied the score.
With that blast off reliever Hunter Strickland, Goldschmidt became the 11th player in franchise history to hit a tying homer with two-outs in the ninth, and the second this season. Earlier on April 2, Chris Owings blasted a three-run shot against Dodgers’ close Kenley Jensen in a game the Arizona Diamondbacks eventually won in 15 innings.
This time, Goldschmidt seemed to not only hit with power but hit in the clutch.
In the series opener against the Giants, he banged a triple in the first inning that scored Ketel Marte and eventually scored the game-winner on A.J. Pollock’s. In the series finale Wednesday afternoon, Goldschmidt delivered a two-run homer in the fourth and doubled in Marte in the sixth.
Afterward, Goldschmidt down-played that his bat came alive in San Francisco.
"“You guys can say whatever you want,” Goldschmidt told mlb.com. “I just take it day by day. Just because you have a couple hits (Wednesday), doesn’t mean it’s going to happen the next day or if you’re 0-for, doesn’t mean you’re going to do it again.”"
All of which speaks to Goldschmidt’s essential approach, and that’s not to get too high nor too low. Then again, when Goldschmidt’s bat speaks, opposing teams usually hear its message loud and clear.
Elsewhere …
With series victories in their first four sets of the season, the Arizona Diamondbacks set a club mark. Prior to this season, Arizona never won more than their first two series in any given season. … With the win on Wednesday, the Diamondbacks are now 27-10 against Western Division opponents since Aug. 25 of last season.
In the trainer’s room …
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Outfielder David Peralta sat out his second straight game with an injured left hand on Wednesday. That’s an injury sustained late in spring training. With a day off Thursday, he could be back in the lineup Friday night when the Arizona Diamondbacks face the Dodgers.
Right-hander Randall Delgado made his second rehab appearance for Advanced-A Visalia Tuesday night. He allowed three earned runs in 2/3 of one inning.
Outfielder Steven Souza Jr. may have suffered a setback. On the DL with a right pectoral muscle strain, Souza went 2-for-7 with two homers in an extended spring game at the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Salt River training facility on Monday. After the game, he experienced soreness and underwent an MRI. Souza is expected to resume baseball activity this Sunday.
On to SoCal …
The Arizona Diamondbacks conclude their current trip with three games in Dodger Stadium. Right-hander Zack Greinke gets the call in the opener Friday night and is expected to face lefty Rich Hill.
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The Arizona Diamondbacks then return home Tuesday night for a six-game homestand that features three with the Giants and three with the Padres.