Diamondbacks Report: Serious Swing

by RotoRob

It’s been over two weeks since we had a Diamondbacks report, and oh my have things changed since then! The gents from azsportshub.com have sent me their latest missives from the desert, and here’s the RotoRob spin on what’s happening in the Snake tank.

So you’re a proponent of the Pythagorean Theory that suggests your won-loss record is directly tied to your runs for-runs against mark? Screw that. In a five-game span between July 29 and August 3, the D-Backs were outscored by a 30-14 margin, yet won three times. How does that work? Well, let’s see…the two losses were by 14 and 11 runs, respectively, while the wins were by four runs (twice) and by one run. Wacky times.

Speaking of wacky, on July 20, the day after our most recent Arizona Report, the Diamondbacks were tied for third in the NL West with Colorado, four and a half back of the Dodgers and Padres, who were tied for first. They were fading fast. So what happens? Naturally, they go insane and win 13 of their next 15 games, which – combined with a Dodger slump – has allowed Arizona to take over first place in the division and move four up on now third place LA. An 8.5-game swing in two-and-a-half weeks? Woah. The Snakes are suddenly just a game behind the Mets for the top record in the entire NL. Talk about getting hot at the right time.

Have you ever seen a team – a first-place team no less – go as crazy on the waiver wires as Arizona did on the weekend? Three players in two days? Wow. Nothing like shaking things up. They added Jeff Cirillo from Minnesota, DFAing (and later releasing) Jeff DaVanon to make room; snapped up Byung-Hung Kim from Florida and farming out Yusmeiro Petit to open a spot; and Joe Kennedy was picked up from Oakland in the final move of a frenzied weekend in the desert (with Dustin Nippert getting shipped out).

Cirillo was barely playing in Minny and hasn’t hit particularly well when he has gotten into the lineup. DaVanon was unable to rediscover his offensive game since returning from a serious ankle injury. Kim’s been burned more than his share this year, and while his strikeout rate has slipped slightly, he’s still capable of racking up the Ks…and the walks. Back-to-back poor outings doomed Petit, and we’ll need to see better command from him if he wants to stick with the team during his next opportunity. I thought Petit would outlast Micah Owings, but it was not to be. Kennedy hasn’t been used at all this year in a late-inning relief role, and while his record is lame this season, he has experience in a variety of roles.

[Speaking of waivers, now that the trade deadline has passed, it’s a good time to review how post-deadline deals work as far as players passing through waivers goes. With this in mind, Joe Aiello over at View From the Bleachers offers up this handy guide that explains how the process works.]

On July 29, the Diamondbacks took the worst shutout loss in their history as Atlanta shellacked them 14-0. D-Back pitchers combined to surrender 11 extra-base hits, including nine doubles – the most in the majors by one team since the Royals had 11 in a game on August 11, 2003. Among the pitchers touched up in this ugly affair was reliever Edgar Gonzalez, and in his last two outings, he’s given up five hits, three runs and one homer in three innings. The improved strikeout rate is encouraging, but Gonzalez has regressed this year because of problems with the long ball. Every time I think he’s gaining a foothold, he sinks.

By now, everyone is aware that the Big Unit is toast thanks to season-ending back surgery. The surgery reportedly went very well and Johnson said he won’t throw in the towel, fully planning to pitch again in 2008. We’re not optimistic about his chances of making it through an entire season ever again.

Still on the health front, Chad Tracy has been in and out of the lineup, his knee obviously remaining a major factor despite a gel injection that seemed to help for a few days. Since July 14, he’s managed just 26 at-bats and has produced a mere five hits. At least Manager Bob Melvin doesn’t have to worry about working Mark Reynolds into the lineup while Tracy deals with his health woes.

Carlos Quentin landed on the DL with a right hammy strain – just the excuse the Diamondbacks needed to promote uber prospect Justin Upton, a move we have anticipated for some time. As we’ve harped on many times this year, Quentin simply hasn’t shown any progress at the plate this season. Upton, on the other hand, is adjusting quickly, with three straight multi-hit games, including just missing out on the cycle last night. Grab him while you can.

Chris Young’s two-run homer helped the D-Backs turn things around after the Atlanta debacle, taking the opener against the Padres in a pivotal series. Unfortunately, Young’s gone back into the tank since, going just 4-for-22 with only one double. He’s struck out 10 times over this stretch. Young is enjoying a fairly productive sophomore season, but his inability to get on base concerns me. Still, he’s done his best work when batting at the top of the order.

Conor Jackson has scored four times in the last five games, but has just 40 runs and 35 RBI in 93 games after scoring 75 and driving in 79 in 140 games last year. He’s hitting better since the break, but it will take a huge finish to salvage his season.

Remember that start Orlando Hudson had? Well, his numbers are now remarkably similar to what he did in 2006. Last year: .287 BA, 808 OPS; this year: .289 BA, 806 OPS. Other than April and June, the O-Dog really hasn’t been very good.

Things go from great to better for Arizona with lowly Pittsburgh and Washington coming to town for three-game sets (although, in fairness, the Nats are playing pretty well of late). Then the D-Backs head out on the road to play the struggling Marlins before a tough series in Atlanta. The next two weeks offer Arizona a glorious opportunity to put some distance between itself and San Diego.

The complete report can be found here.

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