SnakeBytes, 5/16: High Five Edition

The Diamondbacks' last four wins have all come when scoring exactly five runs,. Indeed, we are 9-1 this season when putting up a five-spot. Which is odd, because we are only 5-3 when scoring more than five times. Guess that lulls our pitchers into a false sense of security or something. Suspect five runs might not be enough in the next couple of games, this being Coors Field...

Recaps

• [AZ Central] Diamondbacks offense comes alive in win over Dodgers - "For weeks, their lineup has been filled with hitters trying to make up for a bad month and a half with one big swing. But, on this night, at least, they seemed to realize that less is more."
• [MLB] Miley slows Dodgers as D-backs end slide - "I was trying to stick with Miggy and keep challenging guys and throwing strikes, quality pitches and let the defense play," Miley said. "I was commanding the fastball early in the count and I was able to work off of that. He called a great game tonight. We didn't get away from the plan. Everything he put down we went with and it was fortunate that it worked out."
• [AP] Diamondbacks top Dodgers 5-1 - ''The biggest thing was getting the bases loaded, and guys came through with big hits,'' Bloomquist said. 'If you were trying to be picky, we left a lot of guys on base. The positive is, we had a lot of guys on base.''
• [True Blue LA] Billingsley, Dodgers Comfortable With Progress, But Not Results In Loss - "The Dodgers hope that the results come soon for Billingsley, who has allowed 20 runs (16 earned) in 24 1/3 innings over his last five starts, with 15 walks and 20 strikeouts. That beginning of the season for Billingsley, with featured a 1.33 ERA through three starts with just one walk and 17 strikeouts, is starting to seem like a long time ago."

Team News

• [Yahoo!] Kirk Gibson and the Diamondbacks are where they were a year ago, but it's not a happy place - "Approaching the quarter mark of 2012, Gibson and his Arizona Diamondbacks are strapped for anything resembling the level of play that last season made them surprise champions of the National League West. " No kidding.
• [Nick Piecoro] Catching up with Trevor Bauer - Bauer on what sometimes goes through his head when he's pitching. "I’ll be thinking about some science article that I read the night before. I don’t know, ‘Flying cars are pretty awesome.’" Which I just realized was also mentioned in Nonpartisan's fanpost.
  
• [AZ Central] Young has 'outside shot' of joining team this weekend - "It's a different game when he comes to play here," Gibson said. "We'd like him to play most of the time or every day. He's just not 100 percent yet."
• [FZAZ] Minor league report: Bradley overpowering - "When he is commanding his fastball, his stuff is dominating that league," said Mike Bell, D-backs director of minor league development Mike Bell said. "I haven’t seen anybody square him or hit him real hard. He is definitely ahead of the curve at that level."
• [Arizona Sports] Justin Upton's responsibility - Ron Wolfley discusses J-Up. "This team will go as their weakest link goes. And that's where Justin Upton's greatness needs to show up; he needs to carry this team in producing runs. It's his responsibility."

Randomness

• [FSAZ] 'First-date couple' gets 2nd date in Big Apple - Hey, it's the Ridster and his lady! And they're on TV! Watch the video footage at this link.
• [MLB Daily Dish] Brewers Sign Claudio Vargas to Minor League Deal - There's a name from the past. Didn't even realize he was still playing...
• [Columbia Daily Tribune] Strasburg gives new meaning to 'feeling the heat' - How about this as an excuse for a poor start? Nationals Manager Davey Johnson said some Hot Stuff penetrating ointment accidentally "got to the wrong place." "It was on his shoulder, and evidently — I don't know how it got to where it got, but it was uncomfortable, to say the least," Johnson said with a chuckle.