D-backs, Corbin unable to overcome Rockies' long-ball assault
PHOENIX -- At times like these in the baseball season, it's best to remember three simple letters: SSS.
That's not SOS, but SSS -- as in "Small Sample Size."
The Diamondbacks' 4-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday at Chase Field gave the Rockies two wins in the three-game season-opening series, but the D-backs are preaching patience and perspective rather than panic.
"It's tough to not win the series, but it's still early and we've just got to get back at it," said Patrick Corbin, whose otherwise strong seven-inning outing was marred by three home runs that accounted for all four Rockies runs. Includes among the three home runs was another by Colorado rookie shortstop Trevor Story, giving him four in the first three games of his major league career.
That's never been done before, nor has any player in major-league history had his first four hits be home runs.
At his current pace, Story will finish the season with 216 home runs. Remember: Small Sample Size.
"It's just kind of surreal right now," Story said. "It's hard to explain. I can't really put words to it."
Story's home runs were among 10 hit by Colorado in the three-game series.
"It just seemed like every mistake we made in this series was a home run; not a hit, but a home run," D-backs manager Chip Hale said. "Unfortunately, the mistakes he did make, went out of the ballpark, and today we weren't able to make up for it.
"Sometimes you go through a series or a week or two you look at video and you go, 'oh, we got away with one here,' but I don't think we got away with anything this series.
"The ball is jumping right now, and you got to take advantage of it. Hopefully we'll pitch a little lower in the zone against the Cubs and have an opportunity to win a series."
Speaking of Small Sample Size, the D-backs' reinforced "Big 3" in the starting rotation -- Zack Greinke, Shelby Miller, Corbin -- each gave up three home runs in his start. Rest assured, that's not about to become commonplace.
The last time three Arizona starters in succession served up three homers was thre trio of Micah Owins, Yumeiro Petit and Doug Davis in August of 2007 -- which happened to be an NL West-winning year for the D-backs.
"It's a long season, we've got 159 more, and hopefully some in the playoffs, so we're not worried about one series," said shortstop Nick Ahmed, whose solo homer in the ninth off Colorado closer Jake McGee pulled the D-backs within one run and gave him six hits in the series. "We're just going to come out and try to win the series against the Cubs and be here ready to go tomorrow.
"Just know that it's not going to happen all year, our pitchers are too good to let them happen.
"Our staff is too good, our bullpen is too good, our offense and defense is too good. We're going to win a lot of games."