Braves-Diamondbacks preview
PHOENIX -- Freddie Freeman kills it at Chase Field. Paul Goldschmidt does so just about everywhere. Act II of the four-part series featuring two of the best first basemen in a National League full of them -- Anthony Rizzo, Joey Votto, Adrian Gonzalez, come on down -- will continue Tuesday, when the Atlanta Braves and the Arizona Diamondbacks play the second game of a four-game series. If history is the guide, there will be plenty more production from first base forthcoming. Freeman had two homers and 10 total bases and Goldschmidt had three hits, including the game-winning, walk-off homer, in Arizona's 9-8 victory in the series opener at Chase Field on Monday. Freeman tied the game by leading off the top of the ninth inning with his second homer of the game -- on a 3-0 pitch, no less. Goldschmidt led off the bottom of the inning with his fourth career game-ending homer. "Two of the best in the league right here going at it," Arizona manager Chip Hale said. Freeman has a career-high 26 homers this season, and he added a double to his two homers Monday in his return to the lineup after missing the Sunday game against the Washington Nationals because of a sore right middle finger. Freeman took a cortisone shot Saturday night, and the healing process usually takes about 48 hours. So much for the standard operating procedure. "The finger felt good," said Freeman, who hit a two-run homer to the opposite field in left-center field in the first inning. "Didn't know what to expect today. Decided to be aggressive in my first at-bat." In the ninth inning, "Just looking for a strike. I knew he didn't want to walk the leadoff guy. That's why I was going for it 3-0." The D-backs knew he would be going for it, also. He was 3-for-4 with a homer in four previous times making contact on a 3-0 pitch. His performance at Chase Field is nothing new. Freeman has six homers and 11 RBIs in his past five games in Phoenix, dating to his last game in 2014. "He is a very good hitter, one of the best in the major leagues, and especially in this ballpark," Hale said. And Goldschmidt ... "He's our guy," Hale added. Goldschmidt hit his 19th Monday on a changeup he was determined not to try to do too much with, although the pitch ended in the left field seats. He said he was just attempting to start the line moving. "Tie game or extra innings, the tendency is to try to hit home runs," Goldschmidt said, "and that just has not worked out for me or other guys. It kind of creeps into the back of your head. You try to do too much and try to hit a home run. "I think a lot of time it's mental. 'Hey, one swing can change this game.' I didn't want to give in to that thought process. I've had a few at-bats where I felt like I took a little too big of a swing and just got myself out." Not that time. Attempting to cool off the first basemen on Tuesday will be Arizona right-hander Archie Bradley (4-8, 5.04 ERA) and Atlanta rookie right-hander Rob Whalen (1-2, 5.73). Bradley gave up five runs in five innings in his only career start against Atlanta last season. Over his past 11 starts, Bradley has just one win. He is coming off a poor outing Thursday at San Diego, when the he allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. Whalen, who will be making his fifth major league start, has never faced the Diamondbacks. He was acquired from the Mets at the 2015 trade deadline in a deal that sent Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe to New York. After winning his major league debut by throwing five innings of four-run ball against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Aug. 3, Whalen is 0-2 with a 5.29 ERA in his past three outings. On Thursday against the Nationals, he yielded three runs (one earned) on three hits in six innings. Whalen walked three and struck out six. |