Stephen Drew
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Diamondbacks Notes: May 24, 2009
Justin Upton doesn't get a lot of credit for his glove because (a) his bat commands so much attention; and (b) he makes mistakes of inexperience that create the false impression he's a poor defender. But the same talent that makes him a monster at the plate is being harnessed in the field.
See here, as Upton dives for a liner in the gap, similar to a ball he'd muffed earlier in the evening.
On the first attempt, the lights of the football stadium in which the Oakland Athletics play baseball blinded him to the ball. With a second run at it, Upton was able to pluck from the air a dying drive that would have been a double or a triple against a less rangey fielder.
That sequence from Arizona's 8-7 comeback victory on Saturday night represents in microcosm Upton's rapid development. His youth and 0-for-14 after two weeks had some ticketing him for AAA. One month later, Upton is recognized as the obvious choice to bat third in the order.
The trick for the Diamondbacks is not asking...
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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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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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Series Preview: Diamondbacks v. Dodgers
*PREVIEW: ARI v. LAD - The first few weeks of the year are supposed to be a feeling-out period. Maybe that would be the case if the Diamondbacks (1-2) were facing inter-divisional opponents or had made wholesale changes to their lineup. But heading into a weekend series with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers (2-2), the 2009 season feels more like a continuation of 2008 than a fresh start.
The Snakes' biggest changes among regulars are the substitution of Felipe Lopez for Orlando Hudson (who missed much of the second half due to injury) and the departure of short-timer Adam Dunn. Otherwise, Arizona looks much the same in the field. Since modifications to the batting order are par for the course under Bob Melvin, it doesn't feel especially odd to see Lopez leading off or Justin Upton batting eighth. It's been awhile since we witnessed Chad Tracy at 3B or Eric Byrnes in the outfield, but those sights are not unfamiliar.
It's a similar story in Los Angeles. After the...
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