SnakeBytes, 9/16: Marked for victory

Recaps

[AZ Central] Diamondbacks beat Giants to win 3rd straight - It had been 138 plate appearances since Trumbo's last homer when he stepped to the plate with the bases loaded in the third, his last bomb coming on Aug. 9. Trumbo watched a fastball for a called strike before clubbing a hanging slider into right-center to put Arizona up 4-0. It was the second grand slam of Trumbo's career. The homerless streak was the longest of Trumbo's career. The second-longest, lasting 89 plate appearances, also came this year.

[dbacks.com] Miley cruises, backed by Trumbo's grand slam - The 27-year-old southpaw pitched seven innings, the first six of which were scoreless, before giving up his only run on a groundout by Brandon Crawford. The biggest difference from his disastrous start in San Francisco: no walks. "He got frustrated, throwing hard, he was yanking balls. He was unable to make an adjustment," Gibson said of Miley's last start. "Today he got out there and got settled in real nice." Said Miley: "I just tried to forget about that and just slow down a little bit. I got a little quick the other day."

[Arizona Sports] Miley, Trumbo headline D-backs' spoil job vs. Giants - "Lately, I've been trying to hit the ball in the air more. There's not a ton of money for me on the ground, figuratively. I don't have the speed to beat those balls out. I'm a guy who needs to set my sights a little higher -- try to shoot those gaps, and if they do go out of the park, it's all the better." -D-backs first baseman Mark Trumbo

[AP] Trumbo, D-backs pound Giants - Miley had his shortest outing of the season his last start against the Giants, lasting just two innings after giving up three runs and five hits. The left-hander tried to throw too hard in that outing and spent the days in between trying to slow things down. He did against the Giants in his 100th career start, escaping a jam in the second inning and giving up one run on Brandon Crawford's groundout in the seventh. "You've just got to put those behind you -- those (games) are going to happen," said Miley, who struck out four. "You've just got to make adjustments and go on to the next one."

Team News

[FanGraphs] Evaluating the Prospects: Arizona Diamondbacks - The Diamondbacks have a solid system fronted by three right-handed starting pitchers that could all be factors in Arizona by the end of 2015. The system has added depth with recent trades and solid drafts, but most of the top talent is in the upper levels, so Arizona will need to continue restocking the farm to have a continuous pipeline.

[FOX Sports] Ross ready to fight for job in '15 - "The goal is not to go on the DL (disabled list), to be able to play a full season and contribute and help this team win," Ross said. "If that means I have to go into spring training and fight for a job, then so be it. I'll fight for a job. I've fought for many jobs and won many jobs. It will be good. It will be competition for everybody; have to bring the 'A' game. It is going to be a battle between all of us. Everybody is sort of in that same boat, I guess. It will be pretty fun."

[AZ Central] Ross out to prove himself once more - Both Ross and Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson think the month-plus layoff from the calf injury actually helped Ross recover his form at the plate. What was initially thought to be a 15-day injury lasted much longer, and the 33-year-old spent much of that time off his feet and then in the weight room. As a result, Ross' repaired hip is much stronger than it was at the beginning of the season. Ross said this is the best he's felt at the plate in two years.

[Visalia Times Delta] Crown Denied: Rawhide fall in Game 5 - Since winning the Cal League title in 1978 as an affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, the Rawhide have lost eight straight times in the Cal League Championship Series — 1980-83 and 1992 as an affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, 2000 as an affiliate of the Oakland Athletics, 2006 as an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and 2014 as an affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

[SI.com] Diamondbacks' mistakes pile up in trainwreck year - Outside of Owings and third-base prospect Jake Lamb, both of whom are 23, few of the team's players are all that young. Towers' one masterstroke was the team-friendly extension he signed Goldschmidt to prior to the 2013 season. That gave the Diamondbacks a true superstar to build around, but, even with everyone healthy, this team is no better than the .500 record it posted in each of the last two years. Regaining relevance in a division dominated by the Dodgers and Giants will take serious work.

[AZ Central] Chafin likely to start for D-Backs again this season - The club seems intrigued enough by his performance that it wants to get him more exposure at the major league level. "I don't know who will be in what spot for next year," Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said. "We're going to get through the end of this year and try to give guys exposure that we think could be beneficial toward them going into next year and we'll figure it out later. He's probably throwing the ball right now as good as he's thrown it since he's been a pro."

[FOX Sports] Hill sees a comeback coming, but with D-backs? - Aaron Hill feels a comeback coming in 2015, and his resume suggests the distinct likelihood. His greatest wish is that an address change is not involved "I'm going to bounce back and have a great year," Hill said. "I'm hoping it is here. But whether it is here or somewhere else, that's not up to me. I hope I'm part of this. I do believe we have a really good team here. A piece here or there and I think we are going to be just fine. I'd like to see it through, but that is not in my control."

And, elsewhere...

[NJ.com] Prado done for year - The Yankees have placed Martin Prado on the 60-day disabled list and called up Jose Pirela from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the team said Tuesday afternoon. Prado, a utility player, had been nursing a strained left hamstring since Sept. 2, and injury that caused him to miss several games. But, the the New York Post's George King reports, Prado had an emergency appendectomy Tuesday morning. He went straight to the hospital after Monday's loss to the Rays.

[LA Times] Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig appear to argue during Dodgers' victory - Instead of celebrating an eight-run inning Monday night, Matt Kemp was screaming at Yasiel Puig. Kemp followed Puig across the Dodgers dugout in the decisive sixth inning of the Dodgers’ 11-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies, with Puig occasionally turning back to say something in return. Kemp was eventually intercepted by Manager Don Mattingly. Kemp then disappeared into the clubhouse. He wouldn’t say why he was upset.

[Philly.com] Papelbon suspended seven games for crotch grab - He steadfastly denied he intended to express any ill will toward the fans. Some would label it playing dumb, although, with Papelbon, there often does not seem to be much playing required. "I had to make an adjustment and I did it," he said. "I don't even hear the fans out there. When I'm out there and I'm in the moment, the fans are irrelevant to me. I don't even see them. I don't even hear them. To me it's . . . it's pretty stupid, to be totally honest with you."