Well, at least it’s not the Rockies! We will be seeing them again later in the preseason, but for now we move outside of the complex, and welcome the Angels as the first team to visit Salt River Fields this spring. Like the D-backs, they had a bit of a rough day yesterday om their home openers. Actually, it was probably worse: they were 9-0 down by the middle of the second, on their way to a 15-2 loss at the hands of their city rivals. The eleven pitchers used by the Angels gave up sixteen hits and eleven walks. So both teams today will be looking to flush that one and move on. Here’s the Arizona line-up this afternoon.
After Kohl Drake, we can expect to see some of these arms: RHP Yilber Diaz, RHP Kade Strowd, RHP Junior Fernández, RHP Landon Sims, RHP Roman Angelo and LHP Avery Short. Diaz and Stroud are one I’ll be paying particular attention to this spring. Like Mitch Bratt yesterday, Drake came over from the Rangers in the Merrill Kelly deal at the trade deadline. Interesting to see Waldschmidt in center. He started in left for the spring opener, and had one obvious misplay. It’s certainly a better Arizona line-up, with a regular infield, bar Aramis Garcia behind the plate.
No television here, but you can listen through Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, or perhaps online if you are not in the state.