The Arizona Diamondbacks are in for a double treat — they have their home opener on Friday night and it is against the Boston Red Sox, making a rare trip to Phoenix.
Perhaps it will turn into a triple treat, considering the reigning World Series champions have stumbled out of the gate, going 2-6 so far on an 11-game, season-opening road trip, beset by poor starting pitching and a bucketful of baserunning blunders.
The Red Sox had two runners thrown out on the bases in Thursday’s 7-3 loss at Oakland, including Mookie Betts at third for the first out in the ninth, trying to go from first to third on a single by Andrew Benintendi.
“That one right there can’t happen. And he knows it,” manager Alex Cora said.
Cora also talked about accountability for himself after series losses in Seattle and Oakland.
“I love paying attention to the details, and that’s something I took pride in last year, and right now we’re not paying attention to details,” Cora said. “So that’s on us. That’s on me. That’s on the staff.
“And it’s early enough that we can clean it up. But that’s on us. That’s on me. It’s not that we’re going to be doing fundamentals every day and all that, but we’re going to talk a little bit more about the game.
“We gotta get it going. … Last year was last year.”
The Red Sox, making their first trip to Arizona in interleague play since 2007, will be running into a team that will be without corner infielder Jake Lamb. He suffered a left quad strain while running the bases Wednesday and was placed on the 10-day injured list on Friday.
Arizona has been swinging the bats well — hitting .280 with 14 home runs and 22 doubles — in seven games, despite losing Paul Goldschmidt via trade, A.J. Pollock to free agency and Steven Souza Jr. to a spring training knee injury.
Lamb’s injury likely will give more time to first baseman Christian Walker, who has three homers in 19 at-bats.
“We know we have somebody who has gotten off to a great start and is ready to step into a little bit bigger role,” manager Torey Lovullo said.
Red Sox platoon first baseman Steve Pearce, the 2018 World Series MVP, was activated from the injured list (calf) and made his season debut Thursday. He went 1-for-4, striking out three times and thrown out at second after trying to stretch a single off the wall in the third inning.
The matchup features two right-handers looking to bounce back from rough season debuts.
Arizona’s Zack Godley (0-1) allowed eight hits and eight runs (seven earned) in 5 1/3 innings in an 18-5 loss at the Los Angeles Dodgers. He struck out three, walked two and allowed two home runs.
Godley has pitched against the Red Sox once, in August 2016, throwing 5 1/3 innings in relief after the Red Sox chased Patrick Corbin early in a 9-4 win in Boston. Godley gave up two hits and one run — a homer by David Ortiz.
Boston’s starters are 0-6, having allowed 36 earned runs in 35 2/3 innings. Friday starter Rick Porcello (0-1) allowed nine runs (four earned) in 2 2/3 innings in a loss to Seattle.
He has made three career starts against the D-backs, with a 1-1 record and 3.72 ERA, last facing them in 2016.