The Diamondbacks, manager Kirk Gibson said before Saturday’s game, worked extensively on their approach to hitting curve balls in spring training and figure to put that work into use against Reds starter Bronson Arroyo in this game.
Arroyo throws a good one, Gibson opined. He proved it, striking out Chris Young swinging at a breaking ball with the bases loaded and two out in the first inning.
Arroyo fanned Melvin Mora and Gerardo Parra with curves in the bottom of the second.
A couple of notes about the atmosphere on Night Two at Chase Field: It’s 67 degrees inside with the roof closed (as of first pitch) and 53 outside. Ah, Aprils in the Pacific Northwest weather. It seemed like it was 53 every night at Safeco Field when I did Mariners games until mid-to-late May. Perfect weather!
As for players’ at-bat music, Kelly Johnson has some reggae-style hip-hop, country music for Stephen Drew and Russell Branyan, hip-hop for Justin Upton and Chris Young and Latin for Miguel Montero, Mora and Parra. Mora, I noticed, is using “La Vida Es Un Carnaval,” a classic salsa tune from the Queen of Salsa, the late Celia Cruz. Mora has been using that song for years -- he did so when was with Baltimore in the past decade.