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Friendly confines? Oh, hold my aching sides. The last eleven days have been eminently forgettable for the Diamondbacks, and they will, I think, be pleased to be leaving Chase Field. It has not been a happy place since they came back from Atlanta, at times resembling an episode of Jerry Springer more than a division-leading team. All we need is for Eric Byrnes to reveal he had a sex-change, and we'd be set. [Note: this is a joke. Please god, let it be a joke.]
But we do have a good chance to start the trip on a good note, with Webb on the mound. He has done an excellent job of keeping us in almost every game he's started; three unearned runs hurt him badly last time, as he fell to his first defeat of the year. He faces Millwood, who has been overachieving in the win column: 4.54 ranks =11th of the 16 AL pitchers with seven or more wins. [Amusingly, the Big Unit is dead last, at 5.32, and has had more than 8 runs of support per game]
If the defense can avoid handing out the free gifts today - as happened far too often on the homestand - I fancy Webb to right the ship and get things back on track with a win. With the Dodgers playing against the resurgent A's, I would like to see us back in at least a tie for first by the time we hit Pittsburgh on Monday.