It doesn't matter if it's April or October. Late-inning home runs by the opposition that change the entire look of the game hurt all the same.
For the second time in a week, Dominic Leone threw a pitch towards home plate that would be deposited into the seats for a game-winning home run. There was solace in it not being Ryan Braun, but David Peralta's two-run blast in the eighth was the difference at Busch Stadium as the Diamondbacks escaped with a 4-1 win and a series victory.
Here are five things I learned.
5) Dexter Fowler's bat is chilly. He has five hits in 38 at-bats and nine strikeouts. When he seems to be off his game at the plate, the rest of the lineup feels the weight trickle down. This isn't a call-out, just an observation. You don't scream after nine games. Still, I hope Matheny leaves the lineup alone for now.
4) In boulders falling off the shoulders of baseball player news, Kolten Wong had his first two-hit game of the season, driving in the Cardinals' lone run. Wong has looked good in the field, but slow at the plate, so it's nice to see his bat start to heat up. It's no secret his bat can be streaky, but the strides it showed in 2017 can't be denied.
*In weird news, Jose Martinez went hitless.
Late homers lift D-backs to 4-1 win over Cardinals after benches clear
ST. LOUIS (AP) - David Peralta hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer off Dominic Leone in the eighth, A.J. Pollock went deep later in the inning and Arizona Diamondbacks beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 Sunday in a game marred by a benches-clearing incident in the second inning.
3) The top three in the Cardinals lineup went 0-10, with two walks and two strikeouts mixed in. When you have three OBP machines at the top who can't reach second base, you can bet 1-2 runs will be scored. D-Backs pitcher Taijuan Walker is a capable arm who had it going today.
2) Leone isn't exactly gracing the fans with his presence. Two game-winning home runs allowed in the first 10 days of the season is about as friendly as stealing someone's nachos and dropping their beer in the first inning. This has a nasty Brett Cecil of 2017 feel to it. A guy comes down from Canada after dominating and allows a soul-crushing home run at Busch in April. Cecil allowed a majestic blast to Kyle Schwarber last April. While Peralta's homer wasn't in the top ten in exit-launch-rocket fuel infused drop speed (new stat), the effect was the same.
Paging Greg Holland plays here, but it was the eighth inning. The game has to get to Holland first. He arrives tomorrow.
1) Luke Weaver was electric. The kid hurled 6.1 innings, striking out seven and allowing just three hits. He started to break in the seventh, allowing the tying run. But you can't fault the kid for giving Arizona a run. He's fired off a pair of great starts to begin 2018, equaling the promise that arrived with him this spring. You are seeing a more confident young man out there working over lineups. I like it.
Bonus takeaway: We learned Yadier Molina doesn't pity a fool who comes at him with unprofessional language. During the second inning, Diamondbacks manager Torey Luvollo was upset with the strike zone and got tossed, but walked to homeplate and pointed a finger at Molina, calling him a despicable name that mothers wouldn't approve of. Molina charged Luvollo, making contact with the umpire, and the benches cleared. Managers are supposed to be pillars of discipline and wise action. Luvollo has a lot to learn.
That's 4-5 on the season. The offense has shown explosive capabilities at times, but also a potent Jekyll and Hyde annoyance. The pitching has been decent overall, but the bullpen has begun to crack due to a lot of work early on. The Cardinals look better than they did last April, but I don't know how much better. Time will tell.
Thanks for reading,
DLB
