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Homer Bailey
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Archie Bradley
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| Billy Hamilton - CF | Phil Gosselin - 1B |
| Zack Cozart - SS | Michael Bourn - RF |
| Joey Votto - 1B | A.J. Pollock - CF |
| Adam Duvall - LF | Rickie Weeks - LF |
| Brandon Phillips - 2B | Welington Castillo - C |
| Scott Schebler - RF | Jake Lamb - 3B |
| Eugenio Suarez - 3B | Brandon Drury - 2B |
| Ramon Cabrera - C | Chris Owings - SS |
| Homer Bailey - RHP | Archie Bradley - RHP |
After last night's staggeringly underwhelming display, the team suffering their biggest shutout loss for more than nine years, I'm officially done with this season. Oh, I'll still be watching at least some of the games, and naturally, I'll be writing previews, recaps and all the other stuff. But in terms of genuine enthusiasm and interest? Wake me when spring training starts, or when there's a wholesale cleaning of front-office personnel, whichever comes first. There's no point in having any emotional investment in a team which performed as the D-backs have in the past week: even the wins have felt more like losses.
Speaking of losses, time for a Tankapalooza update. We're currently sitting in third, having been passed by the Twins, who have reeled off nine consecutive losses to move 4.5 games up on Arizona. Indeed, they're making a run at the previously impregnable Braves, sitting just 1.5 games back, with one fewer played. Meanwhile, the D-backs are in danger of dropping even further; they could end the day dropping to fourth and also out of the cellar in the NL West, since the Padres are one-half game behind us, going into play today. On the other hand, last night's blowout gives Arizona the second-worst run differential in the majors; their -144 now trails only Atlanta (-155).
That's entirely down to the pitching. With 733 runs conceded, the D-backs have now allowed 50 more runs than the next-worst side in the National League. It's also 20 more runs than all last season - a campaign after which the front-office went into the winter, saying that addressing starting pitching was the most important thing. The team are on pace to give up 913 runs this year, shattering the previous worst of 899 in 2004. It would be the most in the NL since 2004, and since that was the Rockies, it probably doesn't count. Discounting Coors, you'd have to go back to the 2000 Astros to find a team who allowed more runs per game. So, yeah: I'm pretty much over the 2016 D-backs.