I made my first-ever trip out to Goodyear Ballpark (with my second coming later this month when the D-backs take on the Cleveland Indians).
This is the first time the D-backs have ever faced the Cincinnati Reds in a Spring Training game, and Billy Buckner will be starting on the mound for the local nine.
Here are your starting lineups:
D-backs
1. Stephen Drew - SS
2. Conor Jackson - LF
3. Justin Upton - RF
4. Mark Reynolds - 3B
5. Kelly Johnson - 2B
6. Chris Young - DH
7. Chris Snyder - C
8. Brandon Allen - 1B
9. Cole Gillespie - CF
D-backs pitchers: Billy Buckner, Juan Gutierrez, Roque Mercedes, Jose Marte, Blaine Boyer, Bryan Shaw and Leyson Septimo.
Reds
1. Drew Stubbs - CF
2. Orlando Cabrera - SS
3. Joey Votto - 1B
4. Brandon Phillips - 2B
5. Scott Rolen - 3B
6. Jay Bruce - DH
7. Johnny Gomes - LF
8. Wladimir Balentien - RF
9. Ryan Hanigan* - C
Reds pitchers: Aaron Harang, Alexander Smit, Francisco Cordero, Sam LeCure, Jon Adkins and Matt Maloney.
* Fun random note: Hanigan is an alumnus of Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla. Another Rollins alum -- D-backs first base coach Glenn Sherlock.
*** Updates***
--- If you come out to Goodyear Ballpark -- for about half the games anyway -- you'll notice a familiar voice. Chuck Drago, the PA voice for the D-backs at Chase Field, is handling some of the games out here, including today's. Here's hoping for a little more excitement toward the visiting club than he usually has at this park.
--- There's a steady drizzle coming down here in Goodyear, but the good news is it doesn't appear to be enough to keep them from playing this game. As of about 30 seconds ago, they were still watering the infield (a funny sight to see with rain coming down, by the way) and they're setting up a microphone behind home plate for the anthem, so it looks like we're good to go.
--- Uh oh, that's real rain coming down now...
--- OK, back to the action. We're about to get started here, and Weather.com seems to suggest that we're good to go from here on out.
--- After getting spotted a run from a Conor Jackson double and a Justin Upton RBI single, Billy Buckner had a fine 1-2-3 first inning (looking strikeout, flyout, flyout) to get things started for the D-backs.
--- Long double to right-center field for Brandon Allen and a hard-hit opposite-field RBI double for Cole Gillespie and the D-backs are up 2-0. And with that, after one time through the lineup and with one out in the second, the D-backs have knocked out Aaron Harang. I believe he was expected to throw three innings, but he might have used up three innings worth of pitches in a laboring 1 1/3.
--- Another good at bat for Jackson, as he drives in Gillespie with a single to left, 3-0.
--- Jay Bruce tagged Buckner for a homer to right field, but otherwise a good couple innings for Buckner so far, with three flyouts to center this inning (including a very nice diving catch to end the inning by Cole Gillespie, taking a hit away from Johnny Gomes), 3-1.
--- Another Reds solo homer, this time by Ryan Hanigan. A little more wind-aided, it seemed, than the well-hit Bruce shot. Buckner bounces right back with another strikeout of Stubbs. And a check-swing strikeout for Cabrera. Gutierrez is throwing in the bullpen, so it looks like Buckner's day is done: 3 innings, 2 hits, 3 strikeouts, 2 runs on 2 homers.
--- Well, I'm just about out of battery power on this laptop, so we're shutting down the ol' D-blog for the day.
--- About a minute after I powered down the computer, Upton blasted a two-run home run to right field, his second of the month. The laptop battery's timing couldn't have been worse. The homer came after another hit from Jackson, who looks exactly this spring as we would hope -- fully energetic, back to his playing shape, and hitting ropes to left again.