Diamondbacks Spring Training: March 28, 2022
Monday saw another Arizona Diamondbacks spring training workout in the morning. In the afternoon, the team hosted the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 1 pm exhibition game. Corbin Martin started pitching for the Diamondbacks against Dodgers lefty and future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw.
Martin left the game down, 2–0, but the Diamondbacks rallied. Thanks to a five-run seventh, they prevailed, 5–3. A walk by Jordan Luplow started the rally. David Peralta belted his third homer of the spring to tie the game at two. A Jake McCarthy single and stolen base put him in scoring position. Cooper Hummel singled him home to make the score 3–2. Consecutive doubles by Seth Beer and Juan Graterol made the score 5–2.
Diamondbacks relievers had an especially good day. Keynan Middleton relieved Martin with two outs in the third and finished the inning without allowing a run. Joe Mantiply, Ian Kennedy, Noe Ramirez, and J.B. Wendelken each pitched a scoreless inning of relief. Drey Jameson, who hit triple digits more than once, pitched the final two innings for the save. His only blemish was a solo home run by Edwin Rios in the top of the eighth.
Corbin Martin
Corbin Martin said after the game that facing a tough lineup like the Dodgers is good preparation for the season. “This is a tough lineup, and they’re going to battle. I felt like I did a good job of attacking them when I needed and getting outs when I needed to. A lot better than years past. I feel like my misses were really close, too, and I was aggressive with all my pitches. It’s one of those lineups where you have to be like that, because they do that. They foul you off, make you throw a lot of pitches, won’t chase. For what it’s worth, I feel like I did pretty well.
“We’re going to face multiple times here. With a lineup like that, there aren’t any other guys you want to go out and do your thing against. Especially with teams that have 15 guys who can be a three-hole hitter, you have to be really smart with what you do and be aggressive with it.”
Torey Lovullo Post-game
Manager Torey Lovullo also felt that Martin was “pretty effective.” He said that despite having to clip his pitch count due to an extended inning, “overall, I liked the carry on his fastball and the secondary stuff that he could land.”
Lovullo added, “The bullpen was really good. Those were some of our main guys. They had some ten-pitch, eight-pitch innings. Those are the things you’re looking for. They’re commanding the baseball and doing their job.”
Later, he summed the day up with, “We picked up the baseball, and we executed. It was a good afternoon.”
Looking Ahead
Diamondbacks spring training continues Tuesday, March 29. They will hold camp in the morning before heading to Sloan Park in Mesa to face the Chicago Cubs. New signing Zach Davies will make his first spring start as a Diamondback, facing Cubs lefty Justin Steele. First pitch will be at 1:05 pm, weather permitting.
Main Photo:
Players mentioned:
Corbin Martin, Clayton Kershaw, Jordan Luplow, David Peralta, Jake McCarthy, Cooper Hummel, Seth Beer, Juan Graterol, Keynan Middleton, Joe Mantiply, Ian Kennedy, Noe Ramirez, J.B. Wendelken, Drey Jameson, Edwin Rios, Torey Lovullo, Zach Davies, Justin Steele
