D-backs game report: Tuesday, March 11

By foxsports
Published

Game recap: Trevor Cahill gave up five runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings, and the bad news did not stop there. Cahill left the game with a jammed right knee suffered when he hit first base awkwardly while covering on a Jason Kipnis grounder to Paul Goldschmidt in the fifth inning.

Cahill remained on the ground for a minute or so before leaving under his own power with trainer Ken Crenshaw. "Doctor thought it was stable. We're hoping it will be fine," D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said.

Cleveland starter Justin Masterson, named the opening day starter, did not allow a hit in his four innings, although he hit two batters and walked one. 

Hitting notes: Martin Prado singled and scored on a Matt Tuisosopo two-out single in the fifth inning, the D-backs' first two hits. Prado, who was also hit by a pitch, has 14 hits in 27 at-bats. ... Tuiasosopo's hit was his third in 28 at-bats. He has five RBIs.

Pitching notes:  Cahill has given up 12 earned runs and 19 hits in his 11 spring innings, covering three starts. He is still on schedule to start the second game of the two-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Australia on March 23, although it remains to be seen how his knee injury plays into that. "My stuff'€™s not as sharp, I guess. But I'€™m glad I'€™ve been able to throw strikes. I'€™d rather get hit than walk guys," said Cahill, who has 10 strikeouts and two walks. ... J.J. Putz pitched a scoreless seventh inning, yielding only a two-out walk. Trainers went to the mound during his third batter, but it was only a blister, Gibson said. ... David Hernandez gave up a single to his first batter but retired the final four he faced as an emergency replacement for Cahill. ...

Short hops: Bronson Arroyo (back) took a day off from playing long toss Tuesday, and the D-backs are considering "slowing him down," Gibson said. "I don't want to push him early. We are looking for the longevity when he gets going. Our thought process is, let's keep the pressure off him." It is possible Arroyo will not be ready for the start of the regular season, Gibson said. Arroyo has never been on the disabled list and does not want to start now. "He'd do almost anything to avoid that, but that's not how we want to approach it at this point of the season. If it was September, maybe," Gibson said. The D-backs can wait until April 4 to use a fifth starter if they choose. ...

All three shortstops -- Cliff Pennington, Chris Owings, Didi Gregorius -- will accompany the D-backs to Australia, Gibson said, using one of the roster spots available in the absence of three starting pitchers. "A middle of the diamond guy is a premium guy," Gibson said. The D-backs still are likely to carry only two shortstops in the regular season. ...

Motivation speaker Steve Shenbaum wowed the D-backs with his pregame team-building workshop, which included involving some players in improvisational skits. "It got you out of your comfort zone a little at first. It was great," pitcher Matt Reynolds said. Shenbaum has worked with the U.S. women's national soccer team, the New York Yankees, the University of Alabama and with individuals such as hockey star Sidney Crosby and retired tennis player Pete Sampras. ...

Most of the D-backs regulars are expected to play the night game at Salt River Fields on Wednesday, Gibson said.

End quote: "I didn'€™t hear a pop so I knew it probably wasn'€™t too bad. It felt like a really bad cramp. I was just kind of scared at first. And then it settled down and it started releasing. It felt like, 'OK, it shouldn'€™t be anything serious.' It just went away pretty quick. So I was fortunate." -- Trevor Cahill, on his jammed knee.

Wednesday's games: D-backs (7-7-3) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (4-3), Camelback Ranch, 1:05 pm. D-backs vs. Colorado (6-8), Salt River Fields, 7:10 pm. Probable pitchers: Los Angeles -- TBA vs. Zach Lee (1-0, 0.00). Colorado -- Wade Miley (0-1, 1.00) vs. Pedro Hernandez (0-0, 0.00).