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Shurely shome mishtake? Shouldn't Rodrigo Lopez be pitching this game? After all, we are facing the opposition ace at Chase Field this afternoon. But apparently it's Edwin Jackson, who will be continuing his mission to get his ERA going the right way. He's shaved a lot off it since it hit a high of just over eight on May 2nd, but last times' four runs in six innings was a bit of a detour on the road to respectability. He has been keeping the ball in the park though - no homers in the last three outings, which ties a season high for the D-backs rotation [Dan Haren also did it, May 1-11].
Details and the line-up after the jump, as we prepare for a 'Skinsrecap after the game.
- Kelly Johnson 2B
- Conor Jackson LF
- Stephen Drew SS
- Mark Reynolds 3B
- Adam LaRoche 1B
- Miguel Montero C
- Chris Young CF
- Gerardo Parra RF
- Edwin Jackson RHP
No Upton at all in today's line-up, with Parra patrolling right field instead. Montero gets his first action behind the plate since returning off the disabled list - he pinch-hit late in yesterday's victory. A little surprised to see him and LaRoche, fellow lefties, back to back in the line-up - I'd have moved Young up a bit, but I guess the problem is, this is a very lefty-heavy line-up now, with Young, Reynolds and Jackson the only "pure" right-handers. We'll see how it works out against a very good opposing pitcher.
We held Chris Carpenter to a no-decision when we faced him in St. Louis, getting three runs off him in seven innings on April 21st - that was the one where Chad Qualls and Bob Howry allowed five runs in the ninth to present the Cardinals with victory. The bad news is, Carpenter seems to have improved: in the nine outings since then, he has a 2.12 ERA, and has held opponents to a .226 batting average. That's in line with the .230 our current roster has managed: Kelly Johnson is 4-for-9, and Chris Young 4-for-7: Upton's 0-for-8 may explain why he's not in the line-up.
As noted, 'Skins is on the recap. I hope he's about. I should be too, just in case, so see you in the comments!