Arizona Diamondbacks faced the Guardians Cleveland at home, Chase Field, battling in the second last game prior to the Opening Day. The game turned out to be a hit below the belt for Arizona Diamondbacks as Guardians defeated them 4-3 in a sluggish battle.
While there was plenty of impressive defending and pitching displayed throughout the game, it was the Arizona offensive side that could not put together any coherent sequences or timely hits.
Eduardo Rodriguez geared up for the final start pre season and displayed good form alongside good pacing as he located his pitches strongly, performing on the Veredus is set Rotom 63.
He was able to make it through 4 and 1 inning, with 3 hits against his name alongside 3 runs, 1 walk and 5 strikeouts. 76 pitches later he was able to collect a whiff from multiple players.
While he is likely to hit those marks, he is also likely to jump the set limit of 85 to 90 pitches come Sunday when he plays for the first time in the 2025 season. Rodriguez will step forth as the team’s number 4 starter against the Cubs of Chicago.
With Rodriguez stepping into his second year of a multi-year $80 million deal, he will step forward and secure the spot of a desparately needed starting pitcher. Coming off a long recovery period after suffering from an injured lat strain in his left shoulder, he is expected to fill in the gaps with his solid gameplay.
Rodriguez wraps up spring training with a 2.70 ERA after pitching ten innings, striking out twelve and walking two. He surrendered seven hits and three runs.
Justin Martinez had difficulty with his command. He allowed a run and a hit in two-thirds of an inning but did manage to record a strikeout. A.J. Puk pitched a hitless sixth but did allow two hits, recording a strikeout in between.
In competition for the last roster spot with Shelby Miller, Bryce Jarvis pitched two innings, giving up a hit but striking out 2. He reached 94 mph while striking out Lane Thomas in the seventh and then struck out another batter in the eighth. His spring ERA now sits at an impressive 1.93 over 9.1 innings, having walked six batters but boasting a remarkable thirteen strikeouts.
On the offense, it was a muted yet productive day, as the entire team contributed only six hits, the majority being singles. Gabriel Moreno managed to provide a sharply struck ball down the line for a double however, he was left stranded at third base during the fifth inning.
Some minor leaguers sparked some interest in the bottom of the ninth when Gavin Conticello singled and then Waldschmidt was hit by a pitch. An Anderson Rojas double plated Conticello while a wild pitch brought home Waldschmidt.
Jose Fernandez came in as the runner on first and swiftly claimed the first out by driving in a run for a force out. This left Groover on the base with no outs.
Ryan Waldschmidt showed the fans why he is a top prospect by making a amazing catch in a stands during a left field highlight play, as one can view below.
The final exhibition game is scheduled for tomorrow at 12:40 PM at Chase field with the Guardians against the Diamondbacks. Jordan Montgomery is slated to pitch.
