Ah, sweep. Always fun. I'm just going to pretend the ninth didn't happen, because then I can enjoy the game with a little bit less stress and turmoil. A win is a win, and it's always good to see the team beat a division rival.
Recaps:
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[azcentral.com] Arizona Diamondbacks sweep fading Colorado Rockies with 10-9 win - 30,000 for a Thursday night game in a season that's been a loss for a long time? Not bad.
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[dbacks.com] D-backs open up skies in sweeping Rockies - "Right now, it's fun to watch when everybody is hitting and on all cylinders." It is, so if we could have that happen more times next year...
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[foxsportsarizona.com] D-backs sweep fading Rockies with 10-9 win - The Rockies had won 13 of 15 and were up 6-1 in the second inning on Sunday, and it all looked good. Then, wham, they blow the lead, lose the game, and then get swept by us! Yeah, okay, I'm probably enjoying this sweep a little too much.
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[denverpost.com] D-backs sweep Rockies - "Given the time, the place and the stakes, it was the worst loss of the season." Always what you like to hear from your opponent's coverage.
According to Ed Price, Carlos Gonzalez became the first National League player to have 6 RBIs in a game and lose since Barry Bonds in 2007. Oh, there's some great company.
Previews:
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[miamiherald.com] Los Angeles Dodgers (74-79) at Arizona Diamondbacks (62-91) - Despite going from playing the Rockies, a team in the playoff hunt, to the Dodgers, a team sitting below .500, I somehow feel more apprehensive about this series. Maybe that's just past experience.
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[cbssports.com] Dodgers-Diamondbacks Preview - Facing Clayton Kershaw, who has a 1.64 ERA against the Diamondbacks this season, certainly doesn't help much.
DBacks News:
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[azcentral.com] Arizona Diamondbacks' new spring training home Salt River Fields will serve many roles - Derrick Hall talks about one target the team will use to help recruit players: the players' wives. "So many players like to live here anyway, and this way, you've got spring training, the regular season and your year-round home right here in Arizona."
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[foxsports.com] Kevin Towers will get Arizona Diamondbacks on track - Okay, here's a sentence that makes no sense to me: "And not only do the Padres have the best record (entering Thursday) in the NL West, but their home-field mentality's translated into the NL’s best road record."
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[dbacks.com] Church expresses desire to return in 2011 - Ryan Church says he'd like to be back as a bench player next season, and sounds like a pretty big Kevin Towers fan. "I love the direction this team is going. It's a great clubhouse, a great front office. It's an exciting time because you know his track record, what he's done."
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[azcentral.com] It's time to remove Arizona Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson's interim tag - "He has a presence. And pedigree." Oh, well, that makes all the difference. Personally, I'm still unsure. I'd rather the front office do some interviewing over the off-season before they make a decision on manager.
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[letgracewin.com] Wind Aided - "For the first time in the history of the Legends races the elements may have an impact on the race results." Sounds like it could have been a perfect day for Gerardo Parra to win the race.
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[venomstrikes.com] Maddux Turns Dbacks Down - Venom Strikes is glad to hear Maddux won't be joining the Diamondbacks. Why? Well, it all goes back to 1998...
Around Baseball:
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[nytimes.com] ‘Best Game Ever’ Broadcast Found in Bing Crosby’s Wine Cellar - A game that hadn't been seen in 50 years, and it was only preserved by chance and a owner/fan's nervousness. It will be shown on MLB Network in December, and you can see a clip of it here. I had no idea Bing Crosby was part-owner of the Pirates.
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[Big League Stew] Another bat explodes; Cliff Lee nicked with splinter behind ear - I can't find any confirmation, but I suspect that the bat was a warning from Chris Snyder.
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[bostonherald.com] Felix Hernandez is ace and king, but is he Cy Young? - Why are wins a terrible stat? Consider this: "Hernandez, for instance, has yet to win any game this season in which he’s given up more than two earned runs." Yesterday, he went 8 innings, gave up one run, and lost. The Cy Young is not a team award, it is a player award. The Yankees are better than the Mariners, but there should be no question Felix is better than Sabathia.
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[fangraphs.com] The National League Owns in One Regard - Take that, American League- our shortstops are awesome.
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[latimes.com] Frank McCourt attorney's admission sets the stage for a possible settlement - Mediation? Settlement? Oh, this sideshow can't end this quickly! Well, if they settle, I guess we'll just have to look forward to Frank McCourt suing the hell out of his lawyer.
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[Big League Stew] Get that man a prize! Yankees' Vazquez hits three straight batters - What did Javier have to say? "I had good command besides those pitches. I was throwing the ball where I wanted it and some pitches I didn't finish." Okay.