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Quotes of the Day
"He just didn't command his fastball. These guys are a very good fastball-hitting team, so leaving it up over the plate, they get at it pretty good."
- Diamondbacks Skipper Kirk Gibson on Miley's rough night.
"It hurt a little bit, but it goes away. I just didn't make pitches again. It wasn't like I was throwing good and the comebacker happened (and then) I threw bad. I was just very inconsistent through and through."
- Wade Miley dispelling the notion that the comebacker off Jed Gyorko's bat affected his pitching.
Diamondbacks News
Padres get to Miley, pull away from D-backs
Wade Miley lost his third straight start, lasting only 3 2/3 innings while giving up seven runs. Eric Chavez was the lone bright spot for the Diamondbacks, launching a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning and narrowly missing a second homer in the third inning.
Players trying not to put jinx on Arizona Diamondbacks' Pat Corbin
As Patrick Corbin takes the mound this afternoon, there is the impending sense that they young lefty's hot streak cannot last forever, but you won't catch Martin Prado hastening Corbin's return to Earth.
“I got no comment, man. You don’t fool around with streaks. What he’s been able to do has been amazing so far, but I’m not going to be the one to jinx it.”
Corbin, however, is less worried about superstition, crediting his success to catcher Miguel Montero's game plan for approaching hitters.
“I really think we’ve been able to do a good job of mixing it up, but Miggy’s always really good about that. We’re going in and out on hitters, getting ahead with a good fastball or whatever it is, and I don’t think they’re ever up there knowing what’s coming, which is always good.”
Arizona Diamondbacks' injured closer J.J. Putz throwing on flat ground
Two weeks after straining his UCL, J.J. Putz is now throwing from 90 feet on flat ground. There is currently no timetable for his return. Kirk Gibson confirmed the team's cautious approach to rehabilitation, telling reporters, “it’ll be something we take our time on. He’ll probably want to go faster than we’re going to go, but we’ll want to make sure we strengthen him right.”
Diamondbacks' defense best in the majors - SweetSpot Blog - ESPN
Lead by stellar performances in the outfield, particularly from Gerardo Parra, the Diamondbacks have quietly put together the best defensive team in baseball. Mark Simon credits much of this success to Paul Goldschmidt's improvement at first base and spectacular outfield play.
Around the League
Matt Kemp said outburst borne of frustration: `It's over now' - latimes.com
The situation in Los Angeles is getting ugly. After being pulled for a defensive replacement late in a one-run game Matt Kemp appeared visibly frustrated, throwing his glove in the dugout and shouting emphatically. Kemp, however, downplayed the incident, maintaining that his tirade was not directed at Don Mattingly, saying instead that he was "just frustrated," and that it had been "a bad day."
Watch: Angel Pagan hits first inside-the-park walkoff since 2004 | The Strike Zone - SI.com
You do not see inside-the-park walkoffs very often, in fact, it had not happened since 2004 before Angel Pagan did it last night against the Rockies.
Marginalia
"Songs" Brandon McCarthy would like played during batting practice:
- Mambo #5
- Jingle Bells from the album "Bobcat Goldthwait Does Christmas"
- Anything by John Phillip Sousa
- A 20 minute loop of the Microsoft error noise
- A Dane Cook comedy album on mute; and
- Jay-Z