SnakeBytes 6/30: Month's End Edition

And I don't think the Diamondbacks will be unhappy to see the backside of June. Some difficulties, obviously, especially as the month ended. But it wasn't all bad, and hopefully July will start on a better note.

Recaps:

• [Dbacks.com] Upton's bat not enough in loss to Tribe - Sure, two home runs are nice, but when those make up half of your hits...

• [FS Arizona] Duke struggles again as D-backs fall to Indians - Zach Duke said he felt better on the mound and he was getting more ground balls, but they just found holes.

• [AZ Central] Arizona Diamondbacks' Zach Duke seeks results - Gibby was supportive of Duke, too. "I thought he actually threw the ball better today."

• [Let's Go Tribe] Game 79: Indians 6, Diamondbacks 2 - From the Indians fan perspective: "Overall, it was a game that felt 'safe' from nearly start to finish." Yeah, that sums it up.

• [USA Today] Putz-led bullpen helps Diamondbacks have fun in the sun - Some details about the DBacks kangaroo court here- apparently Henry Blanco plays the role of judge. DBacksSkins will be pleased to hear that, in lieu of a gavel, Blanco uses a machete.

• [DBacks.com] Diamondbacks' Chris Young, Justin Upton enjoy interacting with fans - Technology has made it so the fan experience can be very different than it was even a couple of years ago- those of us who have talked to Barry Enright on Twitter certainly know that.

• [FS Arizona] Current skid exposes D-backs' blemishes - We're definitely not ending the first half of the season on a high note. Hopefully, the team can take some time over the All Star Break to regroup and recover from these struggles.

• [Venom Strikes] Dbacks Need to Take Action With Zach Duke - Could Duke work better out of the bullpen? We seem to have more pitchers who are that borderline between starter and relief arm than we do legitimate starters.

• [My News 4] Aces Land four on PCL All-Star Team - Not bad after only having one player each of the past two years. The AAA All-Star Game will be on MLB Network on July 13.

• [AZ Central] Arizona Diamondbacks' Gerardo Parra emerging as a hitter - Sure, he may not be a big power threat. But Parra's hitting .288, and combined with that arm in the field, he's definitely making some good contributions to the team.

• [FanGraphs] The Deal That Keeps Helping the Diamondbacks - Regardless of the rest of his time with the DBacks, this move from Josh Byrnes certainly seems to have paid off.

Around Baseball:

• [Mike Scioscia's tragic illness] The Collected Sins of the Frank & Jamie McCourt Era - If you're wondering just what sort of horrible, horrible things the McCourts have done to one of the most well-known franchises in baseball, here's a list of 50 of their sins. Oh, sorry, 51- they apparently bounced paychecks for their part-time employees this week.... (Also, I feel like I'm obligated to link to a blog that has a Simpsons reference as their title.)

• [FanGraphs] Top Japanese Import, Matsuzaka or Kuroda? - With the talk of Hiroki Kuroda being on the trade market, now seems like a good time to look back at how he's played since he came over to the US.

• [Big League Stew] Take this to Vance: Ejected manager autographs, gives away first base - Hey, it's the minor leagues. You have to do what you can to keep it entertaining.

• [Baseball Nation] 83 Pitches: Should Ryan Dempster Have Completed His Win - Only 83 pitches through 8.1 innings? Sure, it was a 1-0 game, but I'd think you'd want to give your pitcher the chance to finish the game there.

• [LA Times] Former Angels infielder David Eckstein has not retired; he just chose not to play - Eckstein says he's turned down several offers. Ooookay?