SnakeBytes 7/2: Title Goes Here Edition

Unfortunately, this is more what we expected from the team this year. Hopefully, they can recover from it.

Recaps:

• [DBacks.com] Struggles continue for Collmenter, D-backs - Another game with only six hits, and the Diamondbacks now sit three games behind the Giants in the standings.

• [FS Arizona] D-backs' skid continues with loss to A's - Home runs from Wily Mo Pena and Kelly Johnson weren't enough to get the job done.

• [AZ Central] Athletics rough up Josh Collmenter, beat Diamondbacks in series opener - Collmenter hasn't been having as much success in his past few starts- Gibson says he'd like to see Josh go to his breaking ball more often.

• [San Jose Mercury News] Oakland A's beat Arizona Diamondbacks as Rich Harden wins his season debut - Only 12, 216 in the stands for a Friday evening game? Sure, the DBacks aren't a huge draw, but ouch.

• [Dbacks.com] Gibson not celebrating one-year anniversary - As of yesterday, Kirk Gibson has been manager of the Diamondbacks for one year. He wasn't too focused on the occasion, though.

• [AZ Central] Towers & Putz quotes; Burroughs/Mora/Wily Mo; Holmberg promoted; Winkler’s status; & other stuff - If the DBacks are looking to make some trades before the deadline, don't expect to see player coming from San Diego- apparently there's some friction between the font offices.

• [D'Backs Central] What does the J.J. Putz Injury Mean for the Rest of the Bullpen? - With our closer out, we'll have to see some roles in the bullpen get redistributed.

• [Visalia Times-Delta] Skaggs driven by trade from Angels - Skaggs was an Angels fan as a kid, so he was pretty pleased to be drafted by them and disappointed to be traded. But he's letting the trade motivate him to be better.

• [Venom Strikes] First Half Diamondback Awards - Who's been big for the team so far this season?

• [BaseballAmerica.com] Prospect Hot Sheet: July 1 - You know how we look at the Daniel Hudson pitch and think we totally ripped off the White Sox in the Edwin Jackson trade? Well, we might have done even better than we thought- the other guy we got in that deal hasn't given up a run since May 22nd.

Around Baseball:

• [New York Times] For One Minor League Baseball Team, Never an Empty Seat - The Dayton Dragons, a Class A team for the Reds, are set to have their 815th consecutive sellout today, setting a new national sports record. I love minor league baseball.

• [ESPN] Terry Francona and Charlie Manuel say managers shouldn't select remaining All-Stars - It's not an easy job, especially when you've only got so many roster spots and a number of teams you have to represent.

• [Baseball Nation] Cubs Vs. White Sox: Hardly Worth The Bother - "A year ago, Cubs and White Sox marketing execs decided to drum up more interest in these games by creating the "Crosstown Cup" to be given to the winner of the most games between the clubs each year. Mainly, it was an attempt to get some corporate sponsorship dollars. They chose BP as their sponsor -- six days before BP's oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico." Okay, maybe there is something to this curse...

• [StlToday.com] Pujols could be back near All-Star break - "The club has been told that a best-case scenario could allow Pujols to appear in this week's four-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks." Oh, great.