Opening Day 2016

It was a gorgeous sunny day to kick of the 2016 year with the DBacks taking on the defending-champion Longhorns for the first two games of the season.  The Dbacks haven't lost to the 'horns in...........a long time.

Game 1 (11-6 DBacks)

The DBacks jumped out to an early lead in the 2nd that started when James Trask lined a double into right center field for the first hit of the year.  The Dbacks put up 2 runs in the inning .

Trask would later go on to hit the hardest ball of his life into-left center field for what many thought to be a no-doubt home run.  Unfortunately, hurricane-force winds held the ball up long enough for the Longhorns' left-field lumberjack to trip over his axe, yardsale to the ground, and pick the ball off the grass.  In typical FMBA umpire fashion, the base-ump awarded an out for "good effort/too far to tell what actually happened".  Trask hasn't experienced multiple disappointments like that since the last time he went to the bar.

Longhorn-killer Thomas Gayef got the start and wasn't overpowering, but commanded the zone and relied on defence to throw the first 3 scoreless innings.  Errors and timely veteran hitting by the Longhorns allowed them to score 4 in the 4th to bring the score to 5-4.  Gayef would go 7 before bowing out and saying, "I'm too old for this s***."

The 'horns scored another one in the bottom of 7, and MORRRRRRRRE BASEBALLLLLLLL was played.

Brad Regehr came in and immediately started walking the farm.  He eventually got out of the inning and would go on to pitch 3 strong innings in relief, vulturing the W from Gayef.

The Dbacks eventually outlasted 'horns starter Dakota who threw 9 innings and put up 6 runs in the top of 10 off a bargain-bin version of the Wolfpack's McGuire.  And by bargain-bin we mean couldn't hit the broad side of a barn.  Jade Alberts had to come in and close the door with 30mph snooze balls.

JB and Zanutto had a tough time at the dish with a Sombrero each (case-o-beer fellas!).

Mark Clauson forgot how to baseball and swung at a 3-0 pitch, recording an out in the process (case-o-beer).

Jaret Chatwood cleared the bags with a triple and promptly snapped a selfie with 3B coach Kenton Haugrud.  No word if this had anything to do with the next batter getting dotted.

Erik Hostettler showed up after not having practiced since November.  Clearly is still forgetting he's not on the Whitesox anymore.

Gayef managed to escape losing and not giving up a bomb, which has become a trend in his season debuts.

MVP: Jordan Wong (3-5, 2 RBI, 2 R)
VAG BADGE: Wong for throwing his bat into the RF bullpen on a swing and taking 5 minutes to get it

Game 2 (8-2 DBacks)

Dbacks inserted their 2nd string players for the second game and they looked much sharper defensively.  Evan Gerwing threw a guy out at the dish and Murray Ewonchuk and Brent Hamel played some great D on the infield.

Jordan Wong started Game 2 and was effectively wild.  The Longhorns played with the dirtiest nine ever seen in the FMBA and were no match for Wong's fastball.  

Old Man Winter AKA Teddy AKA Gandalf the Grey AKA Fastballs Away didn't have his mid-season command and the DBacks made him pay for it, putting together 14 hits over 6 innings.

Brad Persian looked great at the dish with 2 solid hits.

MVP:  Justin Bryant (2-4, 2B, 3 RBI, R)
VAG BADGE:  Kenton Haugrud for turning down a start in CF to go to Beer Fest