Game #132: Diamondbacks vs. Dodgers

Roberto Hernandez RHP, 7-9, 3.78

Trevor Cahill RHP, 3-8, 4.54

LOS ANGELES DODGERS	ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
Dee Gordon - 2B	Ender Inciarte - CF
Yasiel Puig - CF	Aaron Hill - 2B
Adrian Gonzalez - 1B	David Peralta - RF
Matt Kemp - RF	Mark Trumbo - 1B
Hanley Ramirez - SS	Miguel Montero - C
Carl Crawford - LF	Alfredo Marte - LF
Justin Turner - 3B	Jake Lamb - 3B
A.J. Ellis - C	Didi Gregorius - SS
Roberto Hernandez - RHP	Trevor Cahill - RHP

Yeah, it has been a while since we last saw Los Angeles - however, "not long enough," I probably hear you muttering. You've got to go all the way back to the middle of June, when they beat us two out of three games at Chavez Ravine. Since then, they've done pretty well, with a 37-24 record that's second best in the Natonal League, while Arizona has gone 25-34. That's third-worst in the NL... But is actually better than both the Colorado Rockies and, perhaps surprisingly, the San Francisco Giants, who are 25-35 over the same time-frame.

Tankapalooza update. Taking two of three from the Padres over the weekend dropped us back to fourth, with the Astros and their three-game losing streak now half a game ahead of us. However, both Texas and Colorado won their series over the weekend, so we now sit 3.5 back of the Rangers, and only a game and a half behind the Rockies, coming into play today. As we face Colorado after the off-day on Thursday, that could turn out to be a pivotal series in the battle for the NL West cellar. They face the Giants, the Rangers take on the Mariners, and the Astros host the Athletics over the first half of this week.

On the other hand, having written 2,600 words on how Trevor Cahill is pitching better of late, I'm seriously hoping he does not blow up in our faces this evening. A good Cahill would have value to the team next year, more so than plus or minus a draft spot, so I'm definitely inclined to pull for that here.