Rockies at Diamondbacks
The Colorado Rockies begin their 2018 season where 2017 ended when they visit the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday in a rematch of last year's National League wild-card game. Optimism is high on both teams but with Los Angeles heavily favored to win the NL West, Colorado and Arizona could be forced down the same road that led to the Diamondbacks defeating the Rockies 11-8 before being swept by the NL champion Dodgers in the Division Series.
"I think the lessons last year are valuable, having the ups and downs and figuring out what it takes to make the playoffs,” Arizona first baseman Paul Goldschmidt told reporters. “That’s the first step. We didn’t win the division, we weren’t able to catch the Dodgers. But to go through those struggles and break out of it, I do think that’s valuable.” Each team boasts a bona fide superstar in Goldschmidt (.297 batting average, 36 home runs, 120 RBIs in 2017) and Colorado third baseman Nolan Arenado (.309, 37, 130, Gold Glove winner for the fifth straight season), who finished third and fourth in NL MVP voting last year and will be expected to carry their clubs again. “We have all the pieces that we need to be very competitive,” Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon, the 2017 NL batting champion at .331, told reporters. “We’re well positioned to play better than last year.” Colorado's Jon Gray makes his second straight Opening Day start and opposes Patrick Corbin with Diamondbacks ace Zack Greinke dealing with a groin injury.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain (Colorado), FS Arizona
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Jon Gray (2017: 10-4, 3.67 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks LH Patrick Corbin (14-13, 4.03)
Gray made only 20 starts in 2017 because of a foot injury, striking out 112 in 110 1/3 innings to increase his career totals to 337 in 319 frames. The 26-year-old Oklahoman finished spring training strong, allowing five hits and striking out 11 in 9 1/3 scoreless innings over his past two outings after experimenting with various windups and pitches earlier in March. Gray is 2-2 with a 4.75 ERA in five career starts versus Arizona, including 2-0, 2.77 in two turns at Chase Field with both coming last season.
Corbin was supposed to be the Diamondbacks' Opening Day starter in 2014 before an elbow injury derailed those plans. “Just glad this time, I’m ready to go, healthy and be ready to go out there and try to get us off to a good start,” the 28-year-old upstate New Yorker told reporters. “I’m just excited and I’m honored to go out there. I feel well-prepared and ready to go, got all my work in I needed to this spring, and just really, really excited to get out there and get things going.” Corbin yielded seven runs (six earned) in 11 innings in the spring, walking five and striking out eight.
WALK-OFFS
1. Baseball Prospectus projects Arizona to win 87 games - six fewer than last season - and play in the wild-card game with Colorado going from 87 victories in 2017 to 78 in 2018.
2. Blackmon, who set a major league record with 103 RBIs out of the leadoff spot in 2017, could see time in the No. 3 hole season.
3. Arizona has won the last three season series, including 11-8 in 2017 before its wild card victory over Colorado.