PHOENIX – The Arizona Diamondbacks started the season with a bang on offense, scoring 14 points in the third inning with a 16-1 win over the Colorado Rockies in their season opener Thursday night.
The 14 runs were the most by a team in an Opening Day inning since 1900.
Arizona, the defending National League champion, entered the bottom of the third inning with a 2-1 lead, but then sent 18 batters to the plate, recording 13 hits, two walks, and one sacrifice fly.
“At one point I joked, 'I want to play,'” D-backs starter Zac Gallen said. “Having that kind of support makes my job as a pitcher a lot easier. Next time I'd like to do it in 10 minutes. Those guys came prepared for the game.”
Perhaps most improbably, Arizona failed to hit a home run during the inning. Ketel Marte, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Christian Walker, Gabriel Moreno and Gerardo Perdomo all had two hits. Corbin Carroll walked twice. Blaze Alexander scored his 14th run with a single to center field, giving him his first major league hit.
This outburst broke records for most hits, most at-bats, and by a batter in an inning. It took 34 minutes for the Rockies to get three outs. The D-backs led 16-1 after three innings.
“It was an all-field approach, hitting based on the situation, walking when he was supposed to walk,” D-backs manager Tory Lovullo said. “We were a good hitting team today.”
Colorado left-hander Kyle Freeland (0-1) took the brunt of the damage in the third inning, giving up 10 earned runs on 10 hits and one walk in 21/3 innings.
“Everything remained above middling,” Freeland said. “I just didn't hit where I hit well at all. I didn't have a good performance at all. And teams like that had good hitters throughout and took advantage of every mistake.”
This is Freeland's third Opening Day start for the Rockies, tying him with Germany's Marquez for the most in franchise history.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.