Bob Melvin
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Top 5: Reasons To Be Happy About The Diamondbacks
Diamondbacks Nation has been feeling a bit frustrated about the start to the season for the Snakes.
Perhaps our expectations were too high. Our sense is that this team is capable of much more than they have consistently shown so far. But we have not lost faith.
Rather, we think the team is capable to achieve great things in 2009. We only want to see the Diamondbacks play to the true level of their abilities.
There are plenty of reasons to be happy about the Arizona Diamondbacks. Here are our Top 5 --
1. The Rotation Is Strong. The win-loss record does not show it, but the Snakes' starting pitchers have been incredible in 2009. Through thirteen games, Arizona’s rotation has made five quality starts (defined as at least six innings pitched with three runs or fewer allowed). But even when they've not met the QS-standard, the starters have kept the team in games.
Only twice in the first thirteen have the Diamondbacks starters really taken it on the chin. Those games featured...
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Game Report: Snakes v. Rockies, April 20, 2009
Winning a pitcher's duel, like the Diamondbacks did on Saturday, is great. To rally from behind on three-run bombs is a blast. Losing just sucks. There's drama in each, but we've had enough drama for awhile.
For a change, we wished for the Snakes to take control of a game and hold it through the final out. Back home on Monday night, they did just that.
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Jon Garland did his part and got his deserved second win. Six and two-thirds innings pitched, with six hits, a pair of walks, just one earned run and five strikeouts. If Arizona gets innings like that from the back of the rotation, much else will fall into place.
Garland got help, too. Diamondbacks bats were silenced in San Francisco. Two home run calls announced their return tonight.
Mark Reynolds and Miguel Montero connected loudly on balls that cleared the outfield fence. Reynolds' lashed his into the left field stands for an early 1-0 lead. We dig the long-ball, if you’re offering.
More than that, though, we’re down...
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Melvin’s Pink Slip is Showing
Press, press, press. For two weeks now, the Diamondbacks have pressed. And for a long time before that, if we want to be honest.
Spring Training was Pressure Fest ’09. We shouldn't care about wins and losses in the Cactus League, but we couldn't help notice the way the Snakes were losing. Arizona had Mark Reynolds booting balls, Justin Upton striking out, Brandon Webb and Max Scherzer and the bullpen all not right.
That followed an off-season in which nothing went to script, from Randy Johnson’s departure to San Francisco, to Orlando Hudson’s defection to Los Angeles, to the degradation of the infield defense, to the egg-on-our-faces discovery of money for Jon Garland when Johnson and Hudson were allowed to walk to division rivals.
We understand that an arbitration offer to Adam Dunn could have been a disaster. Were he to accept, he might have commanded a salary in the eight-figure range. The team already has four starting OF and only one 1B job for Chad Tracy, Tony Clark and...
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Game Report: Snakes v. Dodgers, April 12, 2009
* PHANTOM RUN - We took a break from biting the heads of chocolate bunnies to take in the Diamondbacks-Dodgers game on Sunday. Unlike the Friday or Saturday night affairs, Sunday's game was a close contest throughout, ending with a 3-1 loss that gave Los Angeles the series win. Dan Haren (6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K) pitched another great game and was once again denied the victory.
The turning point in the contest came in the top of the second inning. With the Diamondbacks up 1-0, the Dodgers had runners on 2B and 3B with one out and Los Angeles pitcher Randy Wolf at the plate. On a 2-2 pitch, Wolf hit a line-drive back through the box, which Haren fielded on the fly for the second out. In an instant, Haren wheeled and threw to Felipe Lopez, who retired Juan Pierre at 2B to end the inning.
The Arizona players jogged into the dugout under the apprehension that they had kept the Dodgers off the board in the inning. But by the time Mark Reynolds stepped in to lead off the bottom of...
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Diamondbacks Notes: April 11, 2009
* WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES - There were dark clouds gathering around Chase Field yesterday. The Diamondbacks were in the NL West cellar, their bats and bullpen were scuffling, their ace was scratched from a Saturday night start due to shoulder soreness, leaving the club to face Manny Ramirez and the Los Angeles Dodgers without its biggest weapon. It remains a bit overcast in Phoenix this Saturday, but on account of some recent developments, the Snakes are feeling sunny. Read on, Diamondbacks Nation.
* GAME 1 GOES TO THE GOOD GUYS - The warm glow started with Friday night's 9-4 win in Game 1 of the Dodgers' series. In a match-up we identified as key, Jon Garland (7 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K) easily out-pitched the Los Angeles starter, James McDonald (2.1 IP, 2 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K). Garland enjoyed a comfortable margin for most of the game, thanks to a five-run third inning that included big hits from Chris B. Young (3/3, 3 R, 2B, HR, RBI, BB) and Conor Jackson (2/5, 3 RBI,...
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