Numbers & notes from D-backs' amazing B2B2B homers

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What a visit to Pittsburgh it was for the Diamondbacks.

There was a lot packed into those three games that got lost in the shuffle, so even though, as Bill Belichick would say, “We’re on to Cleveland,” let’s take a minute to look back on the opener of that series because it was really something.

First of all, the D-backs could not have drawn up a better start Friday night as the first six batters reached base. That included back-to-back-to-back home runs by Ketel Marte, Joc Pederson and Josh Bell.

Before the Pirates even got a chance to bat, the D-backs were up 5-0.

It was Bell’s first game with the D-backs since being acquired from the Marlins for cash considerations at the Trade Deadline.

Not only was it Bell’s first at-bat as a D-back, the homer came on the first pitch he saw with them. That’s only the second time in franchise history a player collected a homer on the first pitch he saw as a D-back. Can you remember the first? I’ll let you think on that and give you the answer below.

Despite that great start, they actually found themselves trailing in the game, 7-6, after six innings.

That is until Bell tied the game in the seventh with a solo homer off Aroldis Chapman, which made him the second Diamondback to homer twice in their debut joining … Felipe Lopez, who homered twice on Opening Day in 2009.

Chapman threw the pitch to Bell at 102.9 mph, making it the hardest-thrown pitch to be hit for a homer since tracking began in 2008.

The D-backs managed to hold on to win the game, 9-8, and they avoided what would have been a crushing loss after being up 5-0 in the first.

Here are a few other notes from that game:

• The D-backs tied a franchise high with six consecutive batters reaching to start the game (second occurrence this season, seventh all-time). The first time the D-backs accomplished the feat also happened against the Pirates, on Aug. 22, 2001.

• Pederson’s first-inning homer marked the 79th occurrence of a home run landing on the fly into the Allegheny River. He became the 50th different player to do so.

• It was the second occurrence in franchise history with four or more extra-base hits to start a game.

• It was the D-backs' first three-homer inning since Game 3 of the NLDS, when they hit four homers in the bottom of the third inning en route to a sweep of the best-of-five series.

And just to wrap things up, the only other player in franchise history to hit a homer on the first pitch they saw as a Diamondback was Didi Gregorious, who did it at Yankee Stadium, on April 18, 2013.