The Arizona Diamondbacks have won their second series in a row capitalized by a walkoff

The Arizona Diamondbacks have won their second series in a row capitalized by a walkoff victory last night. They will attempt to complete a sweep of the defending World Series champions."Arizona Diamondbacks 5 Prince Fielder Jersey , Boston Red Sox 4[D’backs.com] Shrewd play sets up D-backs’ walk-off vs. Sox - Another near capacity game in this home opening series against the Boston Red Sox, and fans were treated with a tremendous, reasonable scoring game which went down to the wire. Luke Weaver made his Chase Field debut throwing to Carson Kelly, both men part of the offseason return for franchise star Paul Goldschmidt. Weaver had more success this time around than his start in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. He needed 84 pitches to complete five innings. All three of his earned runs allowed came in the second inning, but he kept the Red Sox scoreless from that point forward.Yoshihisa Hirano and Andrew Chafin both struggled in the 7th inning allowing Boston to tie the score at four (the fourth run came in with Archie Bradley on the mound, but was charged to Hirano).[AZ Central] Carson Kelly’s game-winning hit lifts Diamondbacks over Red Sox - Fortunately, Arizona’s offense refused to lay down and die, as they had so many times last season, after Boston took an early 3-0 lead. The D’backs responded immediately to Boston’s three runs with their own four run second inning. David Peralta got it started with a leadoff single, his 18th hit in 42 at bats. Eduardo Escobar moved him to third on a double, and Nick Ahmed broke the seal with a single that neither Mookie Betts or Jackie Bradley Jr. decided to field scoring Peralta. Carson Kelly plated both Ahmed and Escobar with a double and was brought in himself on a long single off the right field wall from Adam Jones.[Arizona Sports] Carson Kelly’s first walk-off gives D-backs series win over Red Sox - Weaver’s battery mate, Carson Kelly, was the deciding factor in last night’s contest. He had two hits and three runs driven in, the final being a walkoff liner to left field scoring Nick Ahmed. After the game, Torey Lovullo was noncommittal when asked about the playing time split between the teams three catchers, Alex Avila, John Ryan Murphy, and Kelly, but it’s hard not to be impressed with what Kelly has accomplished in his short time here.Arizona Diamondbacks News[D’backs.com] Roster decision looms for D-backs - Carrying three catchers on the roster is creating a problem for the Diamondbacks. We just need Carson Kelly to keep doing what he has to put the final nail in that coffin. The D’backs are currently only running with four outfielders Adrian Beltre Jersey , one of them being Ketel Marte who is getting his first cracks in center, leaving the team thin on depth there. The team will likely send a pitcher back to Reno, possibly Jon Duplantier, in order to bring up another outfielder.[Arizona Sports] J.D. Martinez grew under Paul Goldschmidt, wanted D-backs return - Old news. We’re having too much fun watching Carson Kelly hit walk offs against the defending World Series champs. Of course J.D. Martinez would have remained in Arizona if the price was right.[AZ Central] Emotional Steven Souza Jr. wants to show Diamondbacks and fans he can still play - Steven Souza Jr.’s first press conference since his gruesome knee injury was an emotional one. It’s obvious his injury struggles in two seasons in Arizona weigh heavily on him. Around the League[The Score] Orioles’ Davis nearing MLB record with 0-for-40 hitless streak - At what point do you just cut your losses and say that enough is enough? Orioles first baseman Chris Davis has begun the season 0-for-19 and is 0-for-40 since last season. Unfortunately for Baltimore, Davis is under contract through the 2022 season with deferrals that won’t end until 2037. Things could always be worse.[Forbes] Ernie Banks Was Never Paid Well By The Chicago Cubs, Even In His Own Era, New Book Reveals - Let’s put this into perspective. During his 19-year Major League career ending in 1971 – all with the Chicago Cubs – Ernie Banks earned an estimated $680,500. Those figures might be incomplete, noted Baseball Reference, but they’re in the ballpark. Meanwhile, the Cubs just extended infielder David Bote for five years at $15 million, tempting even the most ardent baseball fan to ask: who’s David Bote? It’s a different era, of course. Banks played when the reserve clause bound a player to his own team for all eternity until he was traded. He was then bound to his new team forever.[Cut4] After a dugout hug from cousin Nolan Arenado, Josh Fuentes ripped a pinch-hit single in his first MLB at-bat - “Brothers don’t shake hands. Brothers gotta hug!” Well, not quite brothers, but I couldn’t resist a not really relevant Chris Farley quote. Josh Fuentes, who is one of the Rockies top prospects and also the cousin of Nolan Arenado, had the opportunity to play side by side with his family member yesterday after being called up from AAA. ATLANTA (AP) — Freddie Freeman believes the Phillies Nolan Ryan Jersey , Nationals and Mets made so many moves this offseason because they wanted to catch up to the 2018 NL East champion Braves.If hype matters, those division rivals already passed the Braves. For Atlanta, repeating as division champion may be even more difficult than their surprise title last season.Atlanta faces new challenges from the division’s impressive wave of new talent, led by the Phillies’ Bryce Harper, the Nationals’ Patrick Corbin and the Mets’ Edwin Diaz and Robinson Cano. Many preseason projections list the Braves as underdogs in the division.Freeman just wants to remind fans the Braves haven’t gone away.“The East is crazy,” Freeman said. “It’s going to be a fight to the end. A lot of people are talking about everybody else and they forget we won 90 games and got better.”The Braves gave third baseman Josh Donaldson, the 2015 AL MVP, a one-year, $23 million deal . Atlanta signed catcher Brian McCann for one year and re-signed right fielder Nick Markakis.The Donaldson signing came soon after the World Series. After that, the Braves were mostly quiet. Impatient fans kept hoping general manager Alex Anthopoulos would make more news.Freeman doesn’t agree with the perception the Braves didn’t do enough to keep pace in the division. He said the perception would be different if the team’s few additions came later in the offseason.Freeman, who finished fourth in the 2018 NL MVP voting, may hit between Donaldson and Ronald Acuna, last season’s NL rookie of the year. Manager Brian Snitker has the option of using Acuna as the cleanup or leadoff hitter .The lineup should be strong if Donaldson can remain healthy and Markakis can come close to his 2018 first-half production.Ultimately, the Braves’ hopes may rest on a rotation which has caused concern in spring training.Some other things to know about the Braves’ outlook:FOR OPENERS, IT’S TEHERAN — AGAIN:Atlanta enters the season without All-Star right-hander Mike Foltynewicz, who is bothered by a sore elbow. A healthy Foltynewicz would have been the starter for the March 28 opener at Philadelphia. Instead, Snitker announced Julio Teheran will make his sixth straight opening day start. It’s a vindication of sorts for Teheran, who was left off the postseason rotation last year. Foltynewicz may miss at least two weeks .NEW FACES:Atlanta is counting on a bounce-back season from Donaldson, 32 Rougned Odor Jersey , who had shoulder and calf injuries last season and played only a combined 52 games with Toronto and Cleveland. McCann, 35, isn’t really a new face. He played his first nine seasons with the Braves before three seasons with the Yankees and two with Houston. He’ll share the catching job with Tyler Flowers, who similarly split time with Kurt Suzuki the last two years.“What Suk and I had was special, and I think Mac and I have that, too,” Flowers said.ROOKIES TO WATCHRight-handers Touki Toussaint or Kyle Wright could make the rotation to open the season. Mike Soroka may have been near the top of the list of rookie candidates to win a starting job before he suffered a shoulder injury. He also had a shoulder problem which ended his 2018 season.CLUBHOUSE CHEMISTRYDonaldson brings more than a powerful right-handed bat. He also brings a reputation for adding energy to a clubhouse, which shortstop Dansby Swanson says the Braves need.“A lot of us are a little narrow, straight edge and he’s not necessarily that way, which is awesome because it provides more diversity, it provides a different perspective,” Swanson said, adding he hopes the new mix allows players to “really push each other in a different way than we have in years past, which is something I’m excited for just in this organization in general.”SUPER UTILITY DUODonaldson adds depth to Atlanta’s bench. John Camargo, last season’s primary third baseman, becomes a super-utility player. Like Charlie Culberson, Camargo can play several positions in the infield and outfield.