Grit Index: D-backs win longest game in Chase Field history
Apr 4, 2013, 7:37 AM | Updated: 2:44 pm
Wearing their Sedona red jerseys for the first time in 2013, the Diamondbacks treated the 26,896 fans in attendance to free baseball. An extra seven innings were played before Cliff Pennington at 12:12 a.m. singled with one out in the 16th inning to score Jason Kubel with the game-winning run for a 10-9 victory in the series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Good:
A night after being held to three hits — their fewest at Chase Field since August 10, 2012 against the Washington Nationals — the Diamondbacks pounded out 17 hits. Paul Goldschmidt, Gerardo Parra and Martin Prado each had three hits, including their first home runs of the season.
A night after pitching 1 2/3 innings, Josh Collmenter was called upon one again. He took the mound for the final five frames, allowing one run on four hits. He walked two and struck out five in earning his first win of the season.
The Bad:
Making his Diamondbacks debut and 100th career start, Brandon McCarthy allowed six runs on nine hits. He threw 59 of his 73 pitches for strikes, including a first pitch strike to 20 of the 25 batters he faced. He called his outing “one of the weirder starts I’ve had…I just couldn’t throw any good strikes.”
Stat of the Night:
At 5 hours and 32 minutes, the Diamondbacks and Cardinals played the longest time of game in Chase Field history; while the 16 innings tied for the longest game at the ballpark.
Noted:
• Diamondbacks earned their first series victory versus the Cardinals since June 11-13, 2010 at Chase Field
• Pennington ended an 0-for-17 slump dating back to 2012 with his 12th inning single. He would add two more base hits to finish 3-for-6.
• Parra’s leadoff home run was the first of his career and the 53rd in franchise history. Ryan Roberts was the last Diamondbacks player to open a game with the long ball, doing so on August 29, 2011 against the Colorado Rockies.
He Said It:
“I’m just trying to get something I can hit hard and got a pitch that I felt like was good enough and put a good swing on it,” Pennington said of his second career walkoff base hit. “Fortunately, it was up the middle and not right at them.”
“They kept asking me after the second, third, fourth inning and I felt good,” Collmenter said.
“Starter two was better than starter one,” McCarthy said. “That’s a helluva outing by Collmenter.”
Up Next:
The Diamondbacks, who had a 1:10 a.m. bus to the airport, traveled to Milwaukee immediately after the game. The team, after a day off Thursday, will open a three-game series against the Brewers Friday. Wade Miley, who set a team rookie record with 16 wins last season, is scheduled to make his 2013 mound debut.
