Greinke battered by Rockies in D-backs debut
PHOENIX -- Zack Greinke, signed to a record contract to be the ace the Diamondbacks so desperately needed, was supposed to be the story on opening night. Rockies rookie Trevor Story quickly turned it into the horror kind for the D-backs.
Story connected for two of the three home runs Colorado hit off Greinke, who suffered through one of the worst starts of his career in a 10-5 loss in the longest nine-inning game at Chase Field.
Greinke gave up seven runs, including six on one inning, and was knocked out after four innings in his highly anticipated D-backs debut.
The right-hander came into the game with the second longest scoreless streak by a starting pitcher in Chase Field history at 23 1/3 innings. He extended it by two before the wheels came off in the third, when the Rockies sent 11 batters to plate.
It was far from what was expected of the guy who was given a $206.5 million contract.
"You really hyped it up," manager Chip Hale said. "Every opening day is opening day. It means no more than (Tuesday's) game. Are we happy that we lost? No, we're disappointed that we lost. But it's just one of 162.
"It's one game. Let's not get too carried away. I think sometimes you guys want to read too much into it. He didn't pitch too well and they swung the bats really well. Let's given them credit."
Story and Carlos Gonzalez homered in the six-run inning. For Story, who was playing only because Jose Reyes is on paid leave while facing domestic violence charges, it was his first Major League hit in his big-league debut.
"I don't think I gave up a home run on that pitch all last year," Greinke said. "We'll live with that one. It just kind of happens sometimes.
"Occasionally you give up some runs. ... I honestly think the first four were maybe not perfect pitches but good hitting. After that, hopefully I don't make pitches like that very often the rest of the year.
The last time Greinke gave up six runs in an inning was almost four years ago, April 12, 2012, when he pitched for the Brewers. Last year while pitching for the Dodgers, it took Greinke 30 2/3 innings to give up his first six runs.
Story homered again off Greinke in the fourth to become first player in baseball history with a multi-homer game in his Major League debut on opening day. The last time Greinke gave up three home runs in a game was in 2009 while with the Royals.
THREE TAKEAWAYS
* Infielder Chris Owings started in center field and made all the plays he needed to in his first regular-season game in the outfield since he played out there one time in the low minors. He even stayed in center when Socrates Brito was double-switched into the game. Brito took over in left.
* Jake Lamb and David Peralta each had a hit against left-handed pitching. Lamb's was a two-run homer off Jorge De Las Rosa. Peralta finished with three hits.
"The lefty got him the first time," Hale said of Lamb, "but he was able to take the first pitch over the next (next at-bat)."
* Hometown product Jake Barrett made his Major League debut and pitched a scoreless inning with more than 20 friends and family in the stands. Barrett became the first to play high school ball in the Valley, play at Arizona State, be drafted by the D-backs and play for the D-backs.
-- Chris Gabel, FOX Sports Arizona
"Everyone has bad games," Jake Lamb said. "You can't expect him to throw shutouts every game. He's going to bounce back."
Greinke's last two starts of spring training were on the backfields against mostly minor leaguers. Both times it was to avoid facing a NL West opponent, including the Rockies six days ago. It didn't matter Monday, and Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez took to Twitter to declare the Rockies were comfortable against Greinke for a reason, that they saw something no one else did.
Greinke said he doubted he was tipping pitches. It was more likely he didn't pitch inside early in the game, he said.
"He's a pitcher that we've faced a lot he's been in this division for a while," Gonzalez said. "We kind of know what kind of pitcher he is. Of course he has great command. He throws the ball wherever he wants, but at the same time, he's going to attack hitters. He's going to throw you strikes, and we took advantage. Every time he threw the ball around the plate, we were ready to hit it."
Despite all that, the D-backs clawed back in it on a two-run homer from Jake Lamb in the fourth and a two-run single from Yasmany Tomas in the fifth to cut the deficit to 7-5. But a no-doubt, three-run home run from Nolan Arenado off Silvino Bracho in the eighth put the game out of reach.