Mon 4.29: James Paxton (2-0, 2.61) vs. Tommy Henry (1-1. 5.55) Tues 4.30: Landon Knack (1-1, 3.27) vs. Jordan Montgomery (1-1, 2.77) Wed 5.1: Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2-1, 3.54) vs. TBD All times 6.40p first pitch
Jordan Montgomery played a big role helping the Texas Rangers win their first World Series last year, by beating the Diamondbacks. In 2023, Montgomery went 3-1 across six games, and though the loss came against the Snakes in WS Game 2, he had 17 Ks in 31 IP and was a big reason why the Rangers kept advancing through the 2023 playoffs. After an off-season standoff in which a long-term deal did not materialize, Montgomery ended up signing with the Diamondbacks in late March for one year, $25M (with player options for subsequent years): well under the $100-150M multi-year projections that had been floated.
And then Montgomery fired agent Scott Boras and went with Wasserman Sports soon thereafter.
So this now becomes an important year for the 31-year-old, as Montgomery has to again show his value in the hopes of signing a long-term deal at year's end. He beat Blake Snell in his first start against the Giants (6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB and 3 Ks), but then dropped a decision to Kyle Gibson and the Cardinals last week (7 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB and 4 Ks). He's got a potent arsenal, though, as chronicled during last year's playoff run by the WSJ:
Montgomery, who has seven years of major-league experience under his belt, has made changes to his pitch repertoire and usage in the time since he left New York. Montgomery has long relied on secondary pitches, namely his curveball and change-up, to get him through an opposing lineup. It’s the progression of two different types of fastballs, two-seam and four-seam, that have helped him create the varied and effective approach that has befuddled hitters in this year’s postseason.
Oh, and the Diamondbacks also have Joc Pederson this year. The former Dodger is batting .296 with a 169 OPS+ and 2 HR on the year.
photo: Ken Murray / Shutterstock
93 comments:
GAME ONE
Betts 2B
Ohtani DH
Freeman 1B
Smith C
T Hernandez RF
Muncy 3B
K Hernandez LF
Pages CF
Rojas SS
Paxton LHP
My boy Kiki ties us at one
BOOOOOOO
ohtani grounds into a double play with the bases juiced
Bases juiced for TeO
4-1 baby!!!
Pages doubles in two. 6-1 Boys
8-4 LA after 8 innings
WIN BABY!!!
Astros send 2020 AL MVP Jose Abreu to the minors to get his swing back on track. He's batting .099 this year.
Which is basically double what Chris Taylor is batting.
I'm just saying.
GAME TWO
Betts SS
Ohtani DH
Freeman 1B
Smith C
T Hernandez RF
K Hernandez 3B
Pages CF
Rojas SS
Taylor LF
Knack RHP
Oh no, CT3 is batting ninth today.
How can there be a game delay?! They’ve got a roof at Chase Field!
saxy...there's a beehive on the netting behind home plate that's being eradicated
A bee delay. Wow.
First pitch, 8.35p
Okay, I'm going to start the Wednesday NYT crossword.
done. 7:56
It's Time For Dodger Baseball!
Wait, Brandon Hughes pitching instead of Montgomery?
Montgomery scratched because of the bee delay! Okay let's go!
Betts Ks. One out.
Welp, I guess this won't be another no-strikeout game. Yesterday's no-strikeout game was the first time the Dodgers had done that since August 2006.
Ohtani breaks up the no-hitter. Single up the middle.
Freeman Ks. Ohtani still stuck at first, Slappy coming up.
D'backs wearing those vomit-colored "Serpientes" uniforms.
Taylor moved up to the seven-hole since Montgomery was scratched.
Smith ropes it right to Marte. Three out.
Fly out to Teoscar. One down.
Knack uses 7 pitches to get through a 1-2-3 first inning.
0-0 through 1
@spank, did the bees scare you away as well?
Bryce Jarvis takes the mound for the Diamondbacks to start the second.
Teoscar Ks.
That's three Ks in four ABs so far. Not good
Kike flies to right, weakly. Two out. Here's CT3 (gulp).
Taylor Ks looking, right down the middle.
Knack Ks Pederson for the first out.
Landon drills Gurriel, so there's two on and one out. Moreno at the plate.
Knack induces fly outs to center for both Gabriel Moreno and Corbin Carroll.
0-0 through 2
Another 1-2-3 inning for the Dodgers, capped by a three-pitch K by Mookie (his second of the game).
Jake McCarthy gets a four-pitch walk by Knack, with one out in the bottom of the third.
McCarthy steals second, and Gurriel has a full count now.
Gurriel grounds to third, runner has to hold.
Ketel Marte lines to left to end the inning.
0-0 through 3.
saxy @ 8:59
ha. i just remembered about the game.
Ohtani Ks. That's 6 Ks for the Dodgers and we're barely in the fourth inning.
Freeman doubles! One out.
Ohtani strikes out more than i expected
@spank! Good to see you. I was trying to bee positive.
Slappy grounds to third, so Freeman stuck at second. Here's Teoscar, with two out.
Teoscar Hernandez walks on four pitches.
Dammit
knack gives up a homerun but thats it.
1-0 Dbags
Kike flies to right. Oh well.
Then Christian Walker comes out and hits a solo bomb. So we're down 1-0 through four.
New Snakes pitcher: Justin Martinez.
Muncy is in there for Taylor, and he's hacking.
But works a walk.
Good substitution, Doc!
oh shit. bases juiced for ohtani
We tie the game on a wild pitch!
Ohtani Ks. Still men on first and second. That WP is looking better and better.
Freeman lines to center.
1-1, mid-5.
We've got 7 Ks through five innings, after 0 Ks yesterday.
Smith with a leadoff double in the sixth. Carroll might have gotten that one, but it was just outside his reach.
Teoscar grounds to short. One out.
Kike singles to right, but Smith held at third.
Just go easy, Max--
BALK! Smith scores, Kike takes second.
And Muncy Ks anyway. Then Pages grounds to short.
So the Dodgers have been gifted two runs by Joe Mantiply.
2-1 LA, mid-6.
Wow, Grove wriggled out of that mess by getting Corbin Carroll to ground out with the bases loaded. Nice.
2-1 LA through 6
Ryan Thompson on for the Snakes. He gets Kike on one pitch.
That's Ohtani's third K of the game.
2-1 LA, mid-7
I thought we were suddenly a more patient, non-strike-out team? What the hell happened here?
Kelly is in some sort of pain. Plus, he's got a man on second with one out.
Pretty nice pick there by Max Muncy at third, grabbing a tough one and also throwing out Gurriel at first. Two out.
Kelly gets Marte on a called strike three.
Okay I gotta get some sleep. @spank, hold this game down for me!
Wow, that called strike three was pretty questionable, but Marte was fooled by it nonetheless with his ankles broken. We'll take it.
2-1 LA through 7
Dammit. We actually score in extras--what seems like a rarity--and still drop the game off a two-run HR. Booooo
fucked up. saw the Dodgers score that run in extras and i close my eyes and when i woke up this morning I see that the Dbags won.
GAME THREE
M Betts SS
F Freeman 1B
W Smith DH
T Hernandez RF
K Hernandez 3B
A Pages CF
M Rojas 2B
C Taylor LF
A Barnes C
Y Yamamoto RHP
Doc giving Ohtani a rest from striking out.
Shohei had three Ks yesterday for the first time this year, so I get it.
Tie game through one, Dodgers benefitting from a double play ball.
Pages!!!
Andy Pages goes yard!!!
2-0 LA, top 2
Montgomery apparently not throwing the fastball tonight for some reason. Hmmm
dayum. Bottom of line up coming through
5-0 LA
slappy.with a.homerun
6-0
Slappy!!!
Yoshi gets through six scoreless!
MiggyRo with a bases-loaded walk! 7-0 LA
8-0 LA, going to the ninth.
Why are we talking about gingivitis here with Joe and Eric on the tv broadcast
They are seriously talking about flossing and gum disease. WTF
WIN!
PGT up!
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