Conor Jackson
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Game Report: Snakes v. Rockies, April 22, 2009
The Diamondbacks found the formula on Wednesday afternoon: a strong performance from their starter, a crooked number of runs on the scoreboard, and a bullpen that pitched like it mattered. These three things are all you need to know about Arizona's 2-0 win over Colorado.
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1. HAREN WAS STELLAR ... AGAIN. He pitched brilliantly in his first three outings, only to see lesser pitchers Ubaldo Jimenez, Randy Wolf, and Jonathan Sanchez rewarded with victories that should have been his. Once again, Diamondbacks starter Danny Haren pitched deep and well on Wednesday. His line: 7 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 9 K. Haren now boasts an impressive 1.38 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and 26 K in 26 IP. What else can we say? The man is amazing.
2. THE BATS GAVE HIM THE LEAD. Arizona's offense did not produce much, but the bats came through when it mattered most. The game was scoreless and Haren had thrown 103 pitches when Chris B. Young singled to lead-off the Snakes' seventh. Chris Snyder followed an Eric...
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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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Series Preview: Diamondbacks v. Rockies
* PREVIEW: ARI v. COL - We remember when last the Arizona Diamondbacks (4-8) met the Colorado Rockies (4-7). The season was young and full of possibility. Brandon Webb was anchoring the pitching staff. The Diamondbacks were ready to embark on a three-series home-stand, part of an April schedule featuring eighteen games at home and only four on the road.
Surely the Diamondbacks would build an insurmountable lead and cruise to an NL West title!
Can it really have been two weeks ago? How time flies when you're having "fun."
Arizona has had little fun -- nor much offense -- since winning a 9-8 shootout with the Rockies on Opening Day. We don't mean to overreact to a crummy fortnight, but the Diamondbacks' futility at the plate and general discombobulation has spoiled the golden opportunity presented by their early season schedule.
Rather than dwell upon who’s to blame for the stumbling start, we’ll gather ourselves and break down Arizona’s second shot at their division from...
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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. Cards, April 14, 2009
No Arizona player would have been better to come to the plate in the situation. Down by a 4-3 score in the eighth, runners on first and second bases, Arizona on a nasty grip of play. With two outs and the pitcher's spot up, Conor Jackson was called on to pinch hit.
The tension in the team had built in the months since Manny joined the Dodgers, through the end of 2008, over a frustrating off-season, during a loser of a spring, and well into the second week of the 2009 campaign. Hands, jaws and bellies all clenched.
How tightly wound were the Snakes, at three games below .500 despite playing their third consecutive home series? They were coiled, but not like Diamondbacks ready to strike. No, they were in a box, getting poked with a stick for their eighth game in a row.
LOVE DON'T GRIP.
Good thing Jackson is a flow player. There is a fluidity to his stance and the path of his bat that defies the paralyzing effects of pressure. He stands tall in the batter's box and swings his hips...
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