Diamondbacks 1, Dodgers 4: the Hyacinth Girl

Record: 39-43. Pace: 77-85. Change on Last Year: -5.

If you'll excuse me, Mr. Eliot, but June was the cruellest month. Lilac hopes grew out of a burnt land, reawakening memories of a dream perhaps better forgotten. Runs rained down over dead roots that now lay as traps. The Diamondbacks gave us hyacinths, they called us their Hyacinth girl.

But come July their arms are full, they cannot lift anymore.

The game was over just as barely as it started. It was an apt analogy for the season so far. Wade Miley was pretty good, if not dominate, but not good enough early enough, nor could he will the offense to perform. The offense was helpless, striking out or grounding into double plays, but ultimately being ineffectual. And July rolled on without a win.

Mark Ellis started the Dodgers with a one out double in the first. He moved to third on a Jerry Hairston single. He scored with a Juan Rivera double, while Hairston moved to third. Then Luis Cruz nabbed a single, putting the score at 2-0. It would be all the Dodgers would need.

The Diamondbacks would take a stab at clawing back, in the second inning, but it would be over just as barely as it started. Arizona loaded the bases with no outs (Jason Kubel walk, Paul Goldschmidt double, Miguel Montero walk), and their would be Last Man in the All-Star Game, Aaron Hill, stepped up to the plate. But he chopped a ball right in front of the plate, creating an easy 1-2-3 double play that nabbed Kubel trying to score, and Hill at first. They would manage one run out of the inning with a Stephen Drew single, but that would be all they would get.

Scott Van Slyke homered in the 4th, a solo shot. Then Elian Herrera hit his own solo shot in the top of the 7th. And that's how the Dodgers scored 4 runs.

Wade Miley was good, maybe not great or All-Star caliber, but there isn't much else that can be demanded from him. He went 6 2/3 innings, gave up 8 hits and 2 walks with 4 earned runs, while striking out 4. The bullpen also did its job, going the rest of the way with no more runs and another 2 strikeouts.

The Dodgers had run out onto the mound Nate Eovaldi, yet another in the long line of misfit toys trying their 2011 Diamondbacks impression on for size. He went 6 innings, gave up 5 hits and 3 walks, yet was only tagged for 1 run. The Diamondbacks had their chances, but strikeouts (8) and double plays (3) won't help.

I think we are in rats alley.

Frank O'Hara: Stephen Drew (5.1%)

Emily Dickinson: Justin Upton (3.9%), Miguel Monter (3.7%)

William McGonagall: Aaron Hill (-23.1%)

Robert Frost: Willie Bloomquist (-11.6%), Wade Miley (-10.8%)

Only two points where the team was above 50% on the WPA. So that's awesome. 28 users sat around for 3 grumpy hours and generated 800 comments, mostly complaints. Leading the way was AzDbackfanInDc, who narrowly nipped me for the top spot. We were the only two in the Century Club, but were joined by these fine folk: 4 Corners Fan, dbacks79, GuruB, Clefo, Rockkstarr12, Jim McLennan, hotclaws, onedotfive, snakecharmer, azcougs, Backin'the'Backs, txzona, CaptainCanuck, rd33, jinnah, DbacksSkins, Zavada's Moustache, piratedan7, kishi, KDbacks, DbackCardsFan, xmet, Gibbysdad, JoeCB1991, PR151, and egboyz.

Comment of the Day goes to both rd33 and onedotfive for having similar thoughts on why the baseball gods might have forsaken the Diamondbacks:

They tried to use Daron

but he said no (insubordination)

by rd33 on Jul 5, 2012 11:21 PM EDT up reply actions 5 recs

and

OMG... I think I just figured out what happened to Daron Sutton

You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.

by onedotfive on Jul 5, 2012 11:20 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

So there you have it. 5 games into July and still no wins for the month. Quickly approaching the All-Star Break, and quickly falling behind. Can you really say you believe? Spring is cruel, sometimes, in how it can give us false hope. Then the burning summer descends, scorching the land and the skin and blurring the eyes. The sky boils and the days extend and contort and twist upon themselves. A knot even Alexander could not cut.

Tomorrow first pitch is at 6:40pm Arizona time. Be here, or somewhere else.