Still purring gently over this one. Enright continues to defy the nay-sayers, and another nail gets hammered into the Rockies' coffin - we'll be watching exactly the same post-season as them in October. There's only one team we've faced more than six times this season and have a winning record against. Here's to completion of the sweep this afternoon and more Purple Woe.
Recaps
- [SB Nation Arizona] Two Keys To Victory: Enright's Change-up, Working The Count On Jimenez - "I threw some decent one's tonight which keeps them off my fastball and keeps them off my off-speed pitches. It just makes everything kind of better. I haven't been sharp with all my off-speed pitches in my last few outings so throwing the change-up tonight kind of helped that."
- [dbacks.com] Enright, Upton help D-backs beat Ubaldo - Upton admitted that he wasn't exactly sure what pitch he did jump on. "I have no clue. I just saw a ball coming at me, and I swung at it," he said of what was gauged at 85 mph on the radar gun. "His changeup [compared with his slider] is also at like 88 miles per hour, so heck if I know."
- [Yahoo!] Upton homers off Jimenez, Arizona beats Rockies - "I’m trying not to think about it," Enright said of his string of solid outings, "but it’s obviously an accomplishment. Trying to keep the team in the ballgame and trying to do my best."
- [AZCentral] Diamondbacks defeat Rockies- "Enright was visited by a team trainer in the sixth inning, when he was spotted shaking his arm. He said it was nothing more than a sweaty undershirt getting caught up with his heavy black jersey."
Team News and Notes
- [AZCentral] D-Backs sign Hampton to minor league deal - "We’re going to find out what Mike has in the tank," Dipoto said. "He’s just rehabbed off a shoulder procedure this past September. He came out and threw for us this week and looked very good. He looked quite a lot like Mike Hampton normally looks."
- [SB Nation Arizona] Full audio of DiPoto discussing the signing
- [dbacks.com] Kennedy made decision to exit on Friday - "Ian Kennedy did something Friday night that macho Major League starters don't normally do. He asked out. The D-backs right-hander, who had thrown 93 pitches through five arduous innings, told pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. that the club was better off if the bullpen took over." I'm a bit disturbed that the pitcher has to tell the coach and manager he needs to be relieved...
- [AZCentral] Gibson: Misconception about Justin Upton must stop - "If anyone views the young right fielder as someone who doesn't care or is loafing, that view "couldn't be further from the truth." "I think it's a misperception, and part of that is because there's such high expectations that we all put on him, and we expect him to be this guy who just makes every single thing look easy," Gibson said." The AZCentral.com commentors will love that...
- [Minor League Ball] Diamondbacks Top 20 Pre-Season Prospects in Review - Hey, at least Barry Enright did make this list, albeit at #18...
- [rgj.com] Rosales finding routine in Reno - "In Colorado, it just was really, really bugging me," Rosales said. "The pain wouldn't go away. We tried icing it, but it wouldn't respond. It turned out I was pitching with a fractured ankle."
Around Baseball
- [ESPN] Stephen Strasburg injured; Nationals hold collective breath - Hang on, ESPN, shouldn't it be nation holds collective breath? Anyway, early signs are it's not as bad as feared. He may actually pitch again.
- [AP] Stairs sets record for most pinch-hit homers - "Matt Stairs has hit his 21st homer as a pinch-hitter, the most in big league history. Stairs connected on a two-run shot in the eighth inning of the San Diego Padres’ 6-5 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday night, passing Cliff Johnson."
- [ESPN] Jim Caple: If you make the majors, it's the life of luxury - Mariners pitcher David Pauley said. "You have so many resources of different things up here. It's anything you want, anytime you need it. Anything and everything. It's just a matter of where they need to go get it, but whatever it is, they'll find a way to get it for you."
- [cardinals.com] La Russa puts pitcher back in nine spot - ""It wasn't like we were messing around with something that was really working," La Russa said of lineup." And it worked, with the Cardinals inflicting another loss on Timmeh. Mark Grace nods approvingly...