Opening Day of the 2023 Season officially gets under way.

David S. Landsman

@mtlattherink

It came down to the final at bat of the series to determine a winner, but you couldn’t have a more picture perfect ending as the Diamondbacks used a clutch performance from their team captain Michael Lynch to help secure their first series victory of the 2023 season, taking two of three from the league’s newest franchise, the Expos.

DIAMONDBACKS 1

EXPOS 0

The first game of the series was a pitching duel from start to finish as both pitchers were spectacular on the mound. 

The top of the first saw Lynch issue three walks, but escaped the jam when Derek Metro grounded out to left to end the inning. In the bottom half of the opening inning, Metro, playing his first career game, showed his inexperience on the mound, hitting Lynch and then walking Diamondback Bryce Bedard. However, he regained his form, striking out both Joe Kranefuss and Lynch to end the inning unscathed.

Lynch once again walked two batters in the second inning, but also got another couple punchouts. It was in the bottom half of the second inning that the only offense was needed for the Diamondbacks. Bedard opened the frame with a single down the third base line, followed by back-to-back walks to Kranefuss and Lynch to load the bases with nobody out. Bedard, in his second at-bat of the inning, grounded out to third but not before Kranefuss crossed the plate and gave his team the 1-0 lead.

It was the only offense they would need as the Expos wound up coming up short in the third. They got the tying run on first, and the winning run at the plate, but unfortunately Derek Metro and Paul Terry both struck out, giving the Diamondbacks the narrow 1-0 victory.

EXPOS 4

DIAMONDBACKS 0

Coming up empty in game one was a wakeup for the new Expos franchise, and their bats came alive in game two of the series. Backed by a pair of strikeouts by Dom Metro in the top half of the first, the Expos were all over the place in the bottom half.

Derek Metro led off with a single, followed by a pair of walks to Dom Metro and Terry to load the bases. Derek’s second at bat of the inning was an RBI single to right field, opening the scoring 1-0, and getting their first run in franchise history. 

Dom and Terry were both then walked again by a shaken Lynch, increasing their lead to a whopping 3-0, all before the Expos recorded a single out. Derek struck out, but then Dom was walked for the third time in the inning alone,  bringing home another run and helping them to a substantial 4-0 lead after one inning.

The Diamondbacks were unable to answer in the second inning, with both Lynch and Kranefuss striking out in the middle of a Bedard walk. The bottom half was yet another shaky inning by Lynch, who although started with another strikeout to Derek, walked the next two, before punching out Derek for the second time of the inning.

With their backs against the gate, the Diamondbacks needed four runs to get even with the Expos in the third, but it was Dom Metro’s arm that got the best of them, striking out both Lynch and Bedard to end the ball game.

DIAMONDBACKS 1

EXPOS 0

With the series tied at one game-apiece it all came down to the third and decisive matchup to see who would take home the series.

In a bizarre turn of events, it was Joe Kranefuss who started on the mound for the Diamondbacks to start the third game. He faced only one batter, as he walked Derek Metro, and then was quickly replaced by captain Lynch to resume the game back to normal. He then made no mistake, sending both Dom Metro and Terry down looking to end the inning.

The Expos replicated the same weirdness to start their bottom half of the first frame, putting Paul Terry on the mound. He allowed a single to Bedard and then walked Kranefuss before conceding his place back to Dom Metro on the mound. Much like the half of the inning prior, Metro showcased why he was the right starting pitcher, striking out both Lynch and Bedard.

The top of the second started with another punchout for Lynch, with Derek going down swinging. He then issued back-to-back walks to Dom and Paul – but then subsequently had Derek groundout to end the inning with goose eggs still on the board.

In the bottom half, Dom started with a walk to Kranefuss, but then followed up with back-to-back strikeouts of Lynch and Bedard. 

The game was a nailbiter going down to the final inning. In the top of the third, both Dom and Terry struck out, which all paved the way for a photo finish in the bottom half.

After Kranefuss struck out whiffing on the ball, it was captain versus captain; Dom Metro against Michael Lynch, rookie facing off against the veteran – and the one with the experience made him pay.

With a pitch down the middle, Lynch launched a bomb down the left field line for a walk off home run, sending the Diamondbacks into a frenzy.

The play had to be reviewed, but after a lengthy look over, it was deemed by TBR’s own Brendan Willett that it was a fair ball, and just like that, the ball game was over.

Following the game, Lynch, who finished the game with giving up two hits, four runs, 15 walks and 14 strikeouts – but also hit the game winning home run, and was named the Wears Woody Player of the Series, had this to say:

“It feels great to start on a high note for the boys”, said Lynch. “It’s what we wanted so I’m happy.”

Despite the loss in his first career start, Dom Metro’s stats were also stalwart numbers, giving up two hits and two runs through eight and a half innings, striking out 14 (like Lynch) and only walking six. His teammate Paul Terry reflected on his pitcher’s performance following the game.

“Hats off to our pitcher (Dom Metro); 9 strong, came down to the last pitch, a tough one,” said Terry. “But you know what, we’ll be better because of it.”