© Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY
D-backs Ride Record-Breaking 3rd to Crush Rockies on Opening Day
Arizona sent 18 batters to the plate and scored 14 runs to cruise to a win over their division rivals.
The Diamondbacks rode a record-breaking 3rd inning to blow out the Rockies on Opening Day, 16-1. In that inning, the D-backs sent 18 players to the plate, scoring 14 runs on 13 hits, all franchise records. The 15-run margin of victory is tied for the third highest in major league history in their first game of the season, trailing the 1890 Buffalo Bisons and 1955 New York Yankees.
"When you draw up an Opening Day type of a game, this is probably times ten," said D-backs manager Torey Lovullo. "It wasn't just the 18 hits and 14-run inning. You set a franchise record in a lot of different ways offensively for a one-inning output. It was the situational hitting, it was taking walks when you're supposed to, it was an all-field approach. When you score that many runs in a baseball game, you're expecting that everybody has hit home runs. We hit one tonight. We were a good hitting team today."
Arizona jumped Rockies starter Kyle Freeland (0-1) in the 1st and never looked back. Ketel Marte singled to lead off the game, then Lourdes Gurriel Jr. launched a towering two-run home run that put the D-backs up 2-0.
Gurriel finished the game with three hits and five RBI, the most in franchise history on Opening Day. The Rockies answered with a run in the second, but Eugenio Suarez kept them to one run thanks to his leaping catch to end the second. That proved to be a big play, as that happened right before the 3rd inning barrage.
Zac Gallen (1-0) wasn't sharp on the mound but completed the necessary five innings to get the win. The D-backs ace didn't have his trademark command, walking two batters, but struck out three and challenged hitters when he needed to get outs. The defense picked him up with some timely defensive plays, keeping the Rockies from sustaining any offensive momentum. Suarez, Christian Walker, and Alek Thomas each made an impressive catch with a runner on base to snuff out potential Colorado rallies. That, combined with the big inning on offense was able to put the game at ease for him.
"That makes our job as pitchers a lot easier when they can go out there and give you that much support," said Gallen. "Those guys, they came ready to play."
Blaze Alexander, who became the third ever Diamondback to make his major league debut and start on Opening Day, collected the first two hits of his career. His first hit, and RBI, capped off the 14-run inning. Alexander plans to give the baseball to his parents. He was one of eight players in the lineup who finished with multiple hits, making it the 4th time in MLB history that happened.
"Emotions were high, it was 10 times more than I thought it was going to be, just hearing the crowd, " said Alexander. "I don't think I've played in front of even 20,000 people and to have 48,000, that was really cool."
The two teams will face off again for Game 2 of the 2024 season. Merrill Kelly takes the mound for the D-backs while Cal Quantrill will start for the Rockies. First pitch at Chase Field will be at 6:40 PM. Be sure to get their early, as the first 20,000 fans will receive National League Champions T-shirts.
