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I won't be around tonight, since it's my 40th birthday tomorrow, and my wife is throwing a party/comedy roast tonight, up at Big Daddy's, on Union Hills and the I-17. If anyone feels like coming along, you'd be very welcome. Print out this blog entry and use it as your party invite. :-) So I'll be leaving here before game-time, though I may try and peer at a TV set - no doubt through an increasingly-alcoholic haze - and keep an eye out as things progress.
We face another leftie, in Rodriguez: we had some success last year when we met him (five earned runs in five innings), but since half our team has changed, I wouldn't rely on that. His control does occasionally seem shaky, so I'd recommend taking lots of pitches and seeing what happens. Be interesting to see if Snyder stays in the lineup, and whether Shawn Green comes back: I think the latter being sat down last night was definitely a portent, but I imagine Melvin would rather Green faced a left-handed pitcher with 11 career wins, than one like Pettitte, with 173.
The Diamondbacks send up Claudio Vargas for his second game, though his first was far above #5 starter material, and gave us our only win of the Milwaukee series. However, all our other starters experienced a significant drop-off the second time they took the mound, so I hope Vargas can avoid that. Our bullpen should be well-rested if necessary, but the lack of hitting from about half the roster is slowly edging from a problem towards a full-blown crisis.