Arizona @ San Diego preview
Petco Park
Last Meeting ( Apr 7, 2010 ) San Diego 3, Arizona 5
The criticism was quick, harsh and understandable.
The Arizona Diamondbacks had just fired manager Bob Melvin, who was the National League Manager of the Year in 2007, a month and half into the season and brought in someone who never managed at the professional level.
Farm director A.J. Hinch was plucked from the D’backs front office by general manager Josh Byrnes and put in the dugout after a 12-17 start to the 2009 season.
As a former major league catcher, Hinch was used to taking a beating. The criticism he received was just a nick, but the fact that the team went 58-75 under his guidance was a direct hit to his boiler.
That pain started to heal in the exit interviews he had with each of the players at the end of last season and continued in spring training when Hinch started to truly put his own touch on the young talent on the Diamondbacks roster.
The results are starting to show. An extra-inning loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday prevented Arizona from winning the first three series of the season.
The team is playing much-improved defense – the main focus of spring training – and the offense seems to be doing the little things – like Chris Young’s new approach at the plate – in putting up an average of 6.7 runs in the first nine games.
Playing the style their manager envisioned, Arizona heads into the weekend series with San Diego looking to finish the road trip by winning its second series of the year against the Padres.
Edwin Jackson goes to the mound tonight seeking his second win. He didn’t pitch all that well last time out, but was the benefactor of a franchise-record 13-run inning in beating Pittsburgh 15-6.
The Padres, who have lost all three series to start the season, counter with Jon Garland, a former Diamondback. Arizona is in desperate need of some consistency, averaging 1.8 runs in their six defeats and 9.3 in their victories.
First baseman Adrian Gonzalez had two home runs against the D’backs in the opening series of the season and third baseman Chase Headley, who was hitting .424 entering Thursday’s action, has been hot all season.
The pitching staff has lost right-hander Chris Young to the disabled list with a strained right shoulder after he gave up only one hit in six innings against Arizona in his only start of the season.