Phoenix.BloggersPub

It is that time of year again! Talk around campus resonates around the ever popular “pre-gaming” that makes ASU the glorious place it is on Saturdays. Many students around campus may not even know that the Devils are playing San Jose State, and even fewer know the background between ASU head coach Dennis Erickson and […]

“We went through the whole gamut from a short-term deal to a much longerdeal, but this made the most sense to me. It’s at a level I think isfair.”
Phoenix Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney,quoted in East Valley Tribune

The details of Keith Ballard’s contract came out yesterday afternoon and it looks like his two-year deal is […]

We have no clue what the title of this video on Youtube says but we do know that the video shows Steve Nash showing some of his mad soccer skills on the basketball court.

AzSportsHub Originals, Suns

It’s funny that the more you love someone the more you seem to take them for granted. At least that is the overwhelming sentiment that Trina explains to me on what seems like a nightly basis. To be honest I had no idea really what she was talking about (again no surprises there if you ask Trina). But this week has given me an opportunity to do a lot of soul searching and re-evaluate my life and my priorities. Our time here on this earth is brief and we never know when that time might get cut short. I would hate to look back and have regrets that I might not have shown the proper amount of appreciation for the ones I love. This epiphany has been a very humbling experience for me and made me realize that Trina was right; I am guilty of overlooking all the wonderful things that are done for me. I woke up this morning and vowed to myself that I would change.

Amare Stoudemire’s trip to Vegas hasn’t been all business with the US National team. Amare was seen partying it up last week which in and of itself isn’t odd. What was odd were the people seen at the same party with him.
According to lvj.com Amare was seen at the Palms pool and bungalows for “Mudsummer […]

Doug Davis (31, LHP, 11-11, 4.09)

Chris Young (28, RHP, 9-4, 2.12)

BaseballReference.com preview [opens in new window]

St. Penelope of the Cross
Do not fail us in our hour of need!

[Unicorns and rainbows? Take that! ]

Today, we have a fabulous interview for you. We hooked up with our very own AZ Sports Hub Dbacks Insider, Michael Schwartz, Associate Reporter for AZDIAMONDBACKS.com. We drilled Mike about the Dbacks playoff chances, rotation, stretch run, streakiness and much more. We even discussed how Micah Owings could potentially play in the field. So listen […]

Record: 74-60. Change on last season: +10. Pace: 89-73
Playoff odds: 49.6%. Playoff Magic Number: 30

Quote of the day: “You can’t dwell on what happened the past three games. We’re going to forget about today and go out there and try to put some numbers on the board.” — Mark Reynolds

Ok. Now would be a good time to panic. Mildly, and with focus and restraint. But I do feel that a small amount of running around like a headless chicken might be in order, as we desperately try to find out where the hell our offense has gone. Now, this team has not exactly been an run-scoring machine - more of a run-scoring Tinker Toy - but the last ten games have been miserable, even by Arizona’s low standards. Just 25 runs, a .214 average, and a K:BB ratio of 85:25. Put another way, the entire team has basicallly been batting like Alberto Callaspo, with all the plate discipline of Chris Young.

This wasted a great outing from Micah Owings, who basically outpitched future hall of famer Maddux for seven innings (three hits and a walk, compared to eight hits and no walks, though Owings did hit two Padres). It certainly didn’t look like that was going to happen in the first, when he loaded the bases on a single, a base on balls and a plunking, with nobody out. But Pwnings then simply struck out Gonzalez, Greene and Kouzmanoff on eleven pitches to end the inning.

His only real mistake after that was grooving a 1-2 pitch to Giles, leading off the fourth, which was promptly dispatched to the right-field bleachers. But after grazing Green’s jersey with a pitch [prospective new rule; if it doesn’t leave a weal, it shouldn’t count], Owings retired the next thirteen batters faced. Unfortunately, the bullpen couldn’t continue that, Sinister and War allowing five of the first six hitters they saw to reach. Slaten has been brought in to 16 games this season, to face one batter. However, he’s failed to get them out seven times (on five hits and two walks), including four of six during August.

However, an overall performance of three runs allowed is not by any means a disaster. In the NL this year, when teams allow exactly three runs, their overall record is 196-100. Indeed, coming into this series, the Diamondbacks’ record when allowing three runs was a healthy 12-4. However, it’s been more of a poisoned chalice in this set, as we lost both the opener and last night’s game. For I want to talk about the offense. Well, I would - if I could find where the doggamn thing has gone. We had our chances: we actually out-hit San Diego, 8-7 - but singularly failed to take advantage of them. Two hits for Young, two for Upton, though I figure one for each should be scratched from the record, due to their faux-pas on the base-paths. No walks at all. A strikeout for every starter bar Snyder.

Sound, fundamental baseball. That would have been nice, and quite probably enough to win this thing. Instead, we had this litany of issues. Chris Young, picked off first. Micah Owings, not getting the bunt down with two on and none out. Justin upton, breaking from third on a one-out grounder back to Maddux, and being easily gunned-down at the plate. Leadoff double in the sixth, stranded. And though somewhat different, I’d like to have seen Chip Hale wave Upton round third with two outs in the seventh and the game still tied, to see if he could have scored, after a very well-executed hit and run by Owings and Jupton.

Is it just me, or does this losing streak feel a lot longer than three? I mean, the Cubs series, which we won, now seems a very long time ago: remember those golden, halcyon days when we were capable of scoring as many as five runs in a game? Maybe it’s just that losses due to bad pitching seem harder to take than losses despite good pitching. Or perhaps it’s because we’ve had the lead - admittedly a small, mewling, fragile lead - in all three games this series, and have just not been able to hold on to them. Certainly, we need to breathe into a paper-bag, and remember that this is still a playoff team, with less that thirty games to go. We just need to start playing like one again.

Without the productive mouse of Dbackskins in the lineup, Gameday comment offense also ended up below the Uecker line, despite some enthusiastic padding during the later innings! Though it’s harder to get enthusiastic about an all-pitch, no-hit team. Still, thanks to andrewinnewyork, singaporedbacksfan, LucaMaz3, unnamedDBacksfan, Peachy, hotclaws, batster, VIII, soco, 4CornersFan, a somewhat gloomy Rockies Phan (welcome) and TwinnerA were present. The run-scoring component of our offense, on the other hand…

Gameday Graph

[Click graph to enlarge, in new window]
Master of his domain: Micah Owings, +33.7%
God-emperor of suck: Brandon Lyon, -24.9%
Honorary “Well done!”: Nah. I don’t think so. Again.

As noted in the diary, we’re shuffling our rotation to avoid the shambling horror which has recently been a Petit start. Hernandez 2.0 will pitch Friday on short rest, to get us to the roster expansion on August 1st. Dana Eveland will then pitch on Saturday, because we try to cram as many lefties in the roation against the Rockies as possible. Which makes some sense. However, the way we’ve been (not) scoring runs of late, that seems like re-arranging deckchairs while an iceberg plays Nearer My God to Thee. Or something like that…

Voting in the naming poll is pretty close! So let’s wait another day for anyone else who wants a say to get their vote in.

And um… three DNDs, three losses… coincidence??

I read the recap on the train on the way back from the theatre last night and knew this wasn’t going to be an enjoyable article today, so let’s dive right in.

AP recap is mostly focused on Maddux, with a nice “oh by the way, Owings pitched well too” thrown in two-thirds down. Just…blargh. The Arizona MLB.com recap discusses the game much better from Arizona’s perspective. The Tribune recap has nothing noteworthy.

The Republic recap talks about the tailspin we’re in. Seven losses in 10 games, and we’re hitting 12 for 75 (that’s .160) with RISP. That’s not going to cut it. But, as Snyder points out:

Important notes for today, though they’re kind of the same everywhere:

• Livan Hernandez is starting tomorrow against Colorado, going on three days’ rest. Dana Eveland will pitch Saturday when rosters expand. Notes from Arizona MLB.com discusses the move in-depth.
• Magruder points out another important factor in going with Eveland:

• Everyone is discussing the “six or seven” players that are likely to be called up on Saturday: Eveland, Callaspo, Hammock, Bonifacio, Quentin, and Peguero and Medders (no, really? please no)
• Injury updates: Piecoro says Clark will likely start tonight. MLB.com reports nothing new with Tracy. And Brett Butler’s stroke was likely caused by scar tissue left from cancer treatment 11 years ago. Williams will finish out the season as interim manager.

That’s about all I’ve got this morning. Have at it…

Arizona is fast becoming a sports mecca of sorts; a destination place for athletes and fans alike. Super Bowl XLII, here in Glendale, Arizona this February 2008, is not the least of these sporting events; but it is also not the only event athletes and sports fans are coming for.
So how do athletes, their […]