Quotes
"This year is more normal," he said. "It took me a while to get it over with, but now I feel pretty good. I'm not hoping that that has to happen again to turn around my offense," he said. "That should have turned around since Day One and it hasn't happened."
- Martin Prado on another return to Atlanta
"There wasn't a real variation in the speeds between his off-speed pitches and his fastball," manager Kirk Gibson said. "When he gets up to 85-86, his ball has a little more life on it."
-Kirk Gibson on Collmenter's start
Daily D'backs
Atlanta Braves win 8th straight game by downing Arizona Diamondbacks - azcentral.com
Freddie Freeman drove in two runs, Ervin Santana won his second straight start, and the Atlanta Braves stretched their winning streak to eight games with a 5-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night.
D-backs loss BTN - Arizona Sports 620
D-backs halted as Collmenter gets chopped by Braves - dbacks.com
Santana's gem was more than enough to overcome a respectable turn from Josh Collmenter as the Braves defeated the D-backs, 5-2, on a windy Independence Day night in front of a sellout crowd of 48,815 at Turner Field. The defeat dropped the D-backs to a season-worst 16 games under .500.
When the D-backs selected shortstop Nick Ahmed from Triple-A Reno on June 29, he texted Braves second baseman Tommy La Stella to share the news. Once La Stella heard, he reacted enthusiastically. D-backs starter Bronson Arroyo played catch again on Friday after doing so for the first time on Wednesday since the right-hander went on the disabled list with a sprained right UCL on June 16.
Diamondbacks' struggling Martin Prado not counting on a turnaround like last year's - azcentral.com
ATLANTA – This will always be a special place for third baseman Martin Prado, who remains thankful to the Atlanta Braves for signing him as an amateur, moving him through their system and giving him a chance in the majors. But this weekend — his second trip back since last year's blockbuster trade to the Diamondbacks — feels much different from last season's trip into town.
Kurkjian: Diamondbacks' Tony La Russa could be big part of trade deadline talks - Arizona Sports 620
The addition of Tony La Russa to the Arizona Diamondbacks' front office may complicate some decisions as the trade deadline nears says ESPN baseball insider Tim Kurkjian.
Bolsinger battles Braves hoping for better support - mlb.com game preview
D-backs starter Mike Bolsinger hopes his fortunes change on Saturday against the Braves. Since being recalled from Triple-A Reno on June 17, Bolsinger has made three quality starts and hasn't picked up a victory. In two of them, he was saddled with a loss. But the defeats weren't all on his shoulders. In his last two games, his offense has provided him with only two combined runs.
Around Baseball
A's add Samardzija in blockbuster deal with Cubs - mlb.com
Trading season is opening with a blockbuster that strengthens the A's as favorites to win the American League and adds to the Cubs' inventory of outstanding position-player prospects.
Flooding Surrounds MiLB stadium - Bleacher Report
Building a stadium right by a river can certainly make the ballpark experience more enjoyable, but it can also lead to a logistics nightmare when rain leads to flooding.