Recipe for a victory.: 6 parts Brandon Pfasdt blended with 1 part each Mantiply, Thompson and Ginkel. Mix with some timely hitting. Add a nice defensive play or two, et voila. Oh I almost forgot. It requires a large dollop of overcoming adversity.

After one inning I was certain that my maiden effort at recapping was doomed. After we went 3 and out (and it somehow felt like 0 for 4), Josh Rojas jacked one on the first pitch. Pfaadt settled down and looked good. He got Rodriguez on a weak grounder to Marte for out 1. Next was a nice K of Polanco after giving up a shot to him that may have been harder hit than Rojas's HR but was fortunately foul. Pfaadt just overpowered France for a FT K.

After the first batter of the 2nd, the score was Rojas 1 - Walker 1. There are two kinds of homers, the big fly and the screaming liner. This was NOT a big fly. Left field scoreboard may require some repair. Unfortunately, the next three batters just looked overmatched. But then so did the Mariners in their half. K'd Garver on a sick sweeper. Rinse and repeat for Raley. Had Clase 0-2 but left a breaking ball middle/middle for a single to right..3rd K of the inning called on a fastball that seemed to tailback to just catch the inside corner.

Our third was Barnhart (K), Newman (routine fly to center), McCarthy (FT K). The bottom of the third did not start well and I was once again sure that I had jinxed the team by watching (probably with extra effect by recapping). An 0-2 triple to right. McCarthy made a decent run at it but couldn't quite get there. Rojas was awarded first on catcher's interference. Rodriquez dinked one into center that scored 1 and left men on 1st and 2nd. Polanco then hit one to third that Suarez fielded easily. Well, you may ask, did we get one, two or maybe even three outs? Uh no. Geno looked to second, realized that Marte wasn't going to make it in time and threw to Walker... just in time to NOT get Polanco. 2-1 with the bases loaded, no outs and the cleanup hitter coming up. The Baseball Gods hate me and are going to crush me into tiny little bits. Another dink , this time to left. But wait! What is that on-rushing form? Is it a bird? A plane? No, it's Super Lourdes! Who not only manages to make a sliding catch but also to keep enough control to get the ball back to the infield and prevent any advance. One grounder to Geno, who was NOT going to let anything more untoward happen, and we were out of the inning for only 1 run.

In the 4th Walker manages a 2 out double but Pederson flew out to end it. Pfaadt was in complete control with 2 more k's.

We managed only a walk in the 5th, while they went quietly.

We did nothing in our half of the 6th. Pfaadt started off with his 9th K which was announced as a new regular season high for him and a tie with his playoff effort last year. Which he promptly un-tied with his tenth and just as quickly extended his record by striking out the side. His sweeper was absolutely filthy all day long.

Walker K'd on some questionable umpiring and walked away talking VERY LOUDLY to himself. Since he wasn't tossed, I presume that he kept it just to the PG side. Joc doubles! Geno doubles!! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! Gaby and Corbin aren't able to bring in the go ahead run bur at least Pfaadt isn't going to be saddled with an entirely undeserved loss as we now stand even, all knotted up, tied or whatever your cliche of choice is at 2-2. Are the Baseball Gods looking favorably upon us at long last or are they just setting me up for even more heartbreak? (Work with me here and pretend that I didn't give the show away in the title and the first paragraph.) In the bottom of the 7th in came Mantiply and down went the Mariners. It was about that simple. F9, K, 6-3.

In the top of the 8th, Newman survives a bad call for strike one to work a walk. By the way Jim, I would really like to see the Ump Scorecard for this one.. My impression is that we got the worst of it but there were horrendous calls both ways. McCarthy dropped down a perfect sac bunt with the third baseman half way to home. Gurriel popped up to shallow center. That's OK Lourdes, It would be greedy to be both the defensive AND offensive star of the game. You can leave the offense in the capable hands of .......Ketel! MARTE PARTAY is on with a double over Haniger's head for aa 3 -2 lead! A K on a foul tip strands him. Thompson comes in. He gets a break on a bad called strike and finishes the K with gas down the middle. Rojas goes 3 unassisted on a weak grounder to Walker. Rodrigues K's on a pitch under his hands. No assist needed from the ump on any of those pitches.

Grinchuck starts the 9th with an infield single off the pitchers leg. Probably should have been fielded cleanly. Unfortunately it then goes K, K, FC. Ginkel in. Last chance for the Baseball Gods to mess with me. K looking. A very nice and much tougher play by Ginkel results in a rather easy 1-3 (once he actually secures the ball). F7 to with no heroics needed. Hey, we can win the close ones instead of just the blowouts! Who knew?

Since. I'm a rookie at this, I don't know how to do the WPA and other stuff. Perhaps our big boss can perform some magic and either add it or put it in a comment. In any case we have a lot of candidates for top contributor.

Comment Of The Day goes to Jack Sommers.

And Jim, some of us got it right away. Hmm, on further reflection, maybe it's not that great to make that claim.

EDIT

Hat tip to SNAKE_BITTEN for pointing out the most obvious omission from my recap. Brandon Pfaadt’s pitching line of 6 innings, 2 runs, 5 hits, 11 strikeouts, 0 walks, 96 pitches, with 65 for strikes was phenomenal. So too were the collective stats of the three relievers. 3 innings, 0 runs, 0 hits, 4 strikeouts, 0 walks, 33 pitches with 22 for strikes.

Bells and whistles, by Jim

[Click to enlarge, at Fangraphs.com]
The One Who Knocks: Ketel Marte, +22.5%
Say My Name: Ginkel, +18.9%; Thompson, +13.6%; Suarez, +13.3%
You're My Free Pass... Bitch: Lourdes Gurriel Jr, -14.1%
Better Call Saul: Corbin Carroll, -11.2%

Safely back from Albuquerque, and now just catching up on the last few episodes of Breaking Bad - now playing "Spot the Location"! Of course, the D-backs had to deliver a win for St. Penelope's fiftieth birthday, but this get tougher tomorrow, with the arrival of the Dodgers to Chase Field, for the first series of the season. First pitch will be at 6:40 pm, with Tommy Henry on the mound for Arizona. Thanks to deerhaven for his guest recap: maybe tomorrow, I'll get my first Monday recap victory as well!