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Kinda weird day today. Mrs. SnakePit was up at 3am, since Channel 3's Good Morning Arizona were broadcasting their weather segments from Big Daddy's North, promoting Trash City's Gong Show, which takes place there on July 29th [Tickets now available! :-)]. This basically meant, I came home, went to bed, and she got up: that's the first night we haven't slept together in more than five years. Still, it was cool to see her on TV, though I imagine she will be dead to the world by the time I get home from work late tonight! [And if you want a baseball connection, the Channel 3 present is Mrs. Matt Williams...]
After a brief dip outside the division, it's back in the NL West for Arizona, and we face the Dodgers, who caned us royally the last time we met them, sweeping the series not long before the All-Star break. However, since then, the two teams' fortunes have gone in radically different directions. We've won five of six; the Dodgers have lost six of eight, including a brutal series in St. Louis, where they scored only six runs in four games. And after this set, they face the Cardinals again - you know they're not looking forward to that.
It'll be interesting to see whether the argy-bargy from the last time these teams faced each other carries forward. There were a lot of hit batters, and many harsh words - not least from Luis Gonzalez - but the two managers downplayed talk of a feud. Though, of course, that's what you'd expect them to do. Whether this carries over in to peace and reconciliation on the diamond, we should see tonight. Personally, I think it'll last about until EnGon's control wobbles momentarily. :-)
This pair of pitchers faced each other on July 4th. Sele went six innings and allowed two earned runs on seven hits, getting the win, as EnGon struggled, giving up seven runs in only four innings of work. We certainly need more from him than that tonight, since our bullpen had to provide more than five innings on Sunday. Something like the start before that - seven frames of three-hit ball against Seattle - would do very nicely.
No word on Jackson, but I'd be surprised to see him in the lineup tonight. Clark will presumably get the start at first. I'd expect Green will return, which could pose a problem for Melvin: who should bat leadoff? DaVanon did very well in the spot yesterday, but Eric Byrnes seems to have the lock in center-field. Much as I'd like to see Gonzo being "rested", I can't see it happening. It'll probably be Byrnes who leads off, but we'll see.
[Fantasy baseball report will follow later; it's been somewhat mad today... It's about 80% done, but it doesn't look like I'm going to have a chance to finish it in the next couple of hours, so let's get the GameDay thread up first]