The Arizona Diamondbacks bats were active on Opening Day at Chase Field against the Colorado Rockies.
And by active, we mean the D-backs set a franchise record with 14 runs in the third inning of their 2024 debut, also setting an MLB record for most runs scored in a single inning on Opening Day.
The third inning spanned 44 minutes of real-time and 18 batters, the latter of which was a franchise record. By the end of it, Arizona led 16-1 — which would remain for the final score — and Colorado’s two pitchers had ERAs of 38.57 and 162.00 for the season.
The Rockies’ needed 59 pitches to get through the inning, third-most in D-backs history.
The 14 runs are fourth-most for any inning in baseball dating back to 1900.
All 13 hits from our record-breaking inning. pic.twitter.com/VQu9ziNYpp
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) March 29, 2024
The D-Backs just scored FOURTEEN RUNS and batted around TWICE in the 3rd inning pic.twitter.com/Rz8pxZW88D
— MLB Metrics (@MLBMetrics) March 29, 2024
To begin the third inning, Geraldo Perdomo and Ketel Marte singled before a Corbin Carroll walk loaded the bases with no outs. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. knocked an RBI single, Christian Walker doubled in two more baserunners, and Gabriel Moreno and Eugenio Suarez singled.
Through all that for those not counting, seven D-backs in a row reached safely and Arizona led 7-1.
Blaze Alexander, the designated hitter in his MLB debut, recorded a pop-fly for the first out to advance Moreno from second to third, and the Diamondbacks kept churning after that. Outfielder Alek Thomas doubled in Moreno to end Rockies starter Kyle Freeland’s night.
Replacement Anthony Molina didn’t fare much better.
Back where the inning started, Perdomo and Marte singled, ending the credits on Freeland’s account at 10 runs in 2.1 innings. Carroll walked a second time, Gurriel singled for his fifth RBI already and Walker singled.
Moreno doubled in two runs, and a sac-fly by Suarez set up the one D-back who’d yet to get in on the historic offensive performance. Alexander singled to score Moreno, getting that monkey off his back in a relatively low-pressure environment considering the 16-1 score.
The first hit of Blaze Alexander’s career gives the Diamondbacks a franchise record FOURTEEN run inning pic.twitter.com/97FtbfcxZZ
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 29, 2024
14 runs for AZ in the 3rd are tied for the 4th-most by a team in an inning since 1900, behind only:
6/18/1953 BOS, 7th: 17
4/19/1996 TEX, 8th: 16
5/21/1952 BRO, 1st: 15it’s the most in an Opening Day frame in that span
h/t @EliasSports
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) March 29, 2024
That chased Molina for Rockies reliever Jalen Beeks, who quickly closed out the third frame.
Arizona’s offense only briefly threatened in the sixth inning from there.
Notably, D-backs star Corbin Carroll was the only starter held hitless, though he had two walks.
Arizona ace Zac Gallen earned the win with 5.0 frames of work with three strikeouts and one earned run. Diamondbacks relievers Scott McGough, Miguel Castro, Kyle Nelson and Luis Fruis each went an inning of work with Frias allowing a hit on a night the Rockies managed just four hits.
