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Report: Diamondbacks nearing two-year deal with Alex Avila

By Bill BaerJan 30, 2018, 9:01 PM EDT
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Update (Jan. 31, 4:02 PM ET): It’s a two-year, $8.25 million deal, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

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Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports that the Diamondbacks are nearing an agreement with catcher Alex Avila.

Avila, 31, had a productive 2017 season between the Tigers and Cubs. He hit a combined .264/.387/.447 with 14 home runs and 49 RBI in 376 plate appearances.

The D-Backs lost Chris Iannetta to free agency, so Avila fills that void. He’ll get the lion’s share of playing time behind the plate with Jeff Mathis backing him up.

Padres, Rockies set new modern era record with 92 combined runs in four-game series

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By Bill BaerJun 16, 2019, 7:51 PM EDT
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The Padres and Rockies combined to score 92 runs across a four-game series between Thursday and Sunday at Coors Field, setting a new modern era major league record. The previous record was 89 combined runs scored by the Phillies and Brooklyn Dodgers in four games between May 16-18, 1929.

The Rockies won Thursday’s game 9-6. The Padres scored six runs in the ninth inning on Tuesday to overcome an 11-5 deficit and ended up winning 16-12 in 12 innings. The Rockies won 14-8 on Saturday. On Sunday, the Rockies brought a 13-10 lead into the ninth inning, but Wade Davis and Jon Gray combined to allow four runs. Kirby Yates held the Rockies scoreless in the bottom half of the ninth to secure the 14-13 win for the Padres. Thanks to two wild comebacks by the Padres, they split the series.

Along with 92 runs, the Padres and Rockies combined for 131 hits of which 17 were home runs. Charlie Blackmon had four hits in the first three games and three hits on Sunday, overall going 15-for-24 with four homers and 10 RBI.