Preview: Game #95, Diamondbacks vs. Brewers

Wily Peralta RHP, 6-9, 4.82

Ian Kennedy RHP, 3-5, 5.31

Two top Diamondbacks' prospects should appear: Matt Davidson is starting at 3B for Team USA, and Archie Bradley is also on the roster. With both scheduled to be a big part of the Diamondback future, here's a chance to jump on the bandwagon now. The game is on ESPN 2, so you can kill a couple of hours with that, before Arizona starts their quest to complete a sweep of Milwaukee at Chase Field. Ok, there is another reason I'm posting this early: we're off to see Pacific Rim this morning, so by the regularly-scheduled time of posting, we'll be knee-deep in severed kaiju limbs. Looking forward to it: haven't seen a really noisy, mindlessly-large action flick for a while.

Hopefully, the Diamondbacks will deliver the same against the Brewers while we're out, completing the four-game sweep over the visitors and going strong into the All-Star break. It has been quite the series, with Arizona coming from behind to take all three games so far. Last night, as in the opener, they did it from three runs back, and beating another opposing #1. I like the way they were able to hold on, with Randall Delgado just about keeping the team in the game, within striking distance, and even after the three-run sixth put Arizona down again, they didn't quit. Just what we needed to see, after a disappointing series against LA.

Can Kennedy finish things off in style for us, and pick up his first victory since the first of June? He hasn't necessarily pitched badly since, but last time definitely felt like a step backwards, as he allowed nine hits, three walks and six runs against Los Angeles, without getting through the sixth inning. We'll need better than that kind of outing from Kennedy in the second half, and again, I think there's a psychological boost to be had from going into the break strong. Be interesting to see what Gibson does in terms of organizing the rotation when we start up again on Friday. That would be scheduled to be Kennedy, but will Gibby re-arrange things?

On the opposition side, we face Wily Peralta, Super Genius. Yeah, I know it's pronounced the same way as Wily Mo Pena [who, incidentally, is playing for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks over in Japan these days], but I imagine Peralta's video session involve him coming up with schemes to retire batters that involve rocket-propelled roller-skates, an anvil, and industrial-strength elastic, all ordered from Acme, naturally. All the D-backs hitters need to do, is paint a fake home-plate on the side of the dugout, and Peralta will be hopelessly confused. Sounds like a plan to me, anyway.

No line-up at this point. I trust some kind editor will pop one into the Gameday Thread between now and first pitch this afternoon. Angry Saguaro Joel will be on the guest recap this afternoon, so looking forward to that. I feel confident there might be a mention of beer in there somewhere....