Arizona Diamondbacks Game Preview, #109: No change

Chase Anderson RHP, 6-10, 5.13

Braden Shipley RHP, 1-1, 4/76

Jonathan Villar - 3B	Jean Segura - 2B
Scooter Gennett - 2B	Michael Bourn - CF
Ryan Braun - LF	Paul Goldschmidt - 1B
Hernan Perez - RF	Jake Lamb - 3B
Chris Carter - 1B	Yasmany Tomas - LF
Kirk Nieuwenhuis - CF	David Peralta - RF
Orlando Arcia - SS	Welington Castillo - C
Martin Maldonado - C	Chris Owings - SS
Chase Anderson - RHP	Braden Shipley - RHP

And so, the off-day passed with absolutely no indication of change for the 2016 Arizona Diamondbacks. Apparently going 7-25 while being outscored by exactly 100 runs - the worst such streak for the team, in both losses and run differential, since 2004 - merits business as usual. Of course, this could be a swan scenario: all remains calm on serene above the surface, while there’s a lot of frantic paddling going on below the water. Maybe Tony La Russa is stalking the corridors of Chase Field as we speak, armed with a chainsaw, "reorganizing" the front-office, or at least the numbers and location of their limbs. But, from the fans’ point of view, we only know what we see is being done, and that the same people who all but promised us contention, are still in charge of the team who are tied for the second-worst record in all baseball.

Yes, folks. We’ll have the full Tankapalooza update tomorrow, but the Diamondbacks go into play today level with the Twins on 43-65, That seems unlikely to last, given Minnesota has actually put up a winning record of late (18-12 over the last 30, as good as any NL team has managed). Which would leave us only behind the Braves: they’re four games up... But also have been four better than the Diamondbacks over the past 10 games. If that keeps up, we’ll be in a virtual tie with Atlanta, by the time we come back from Boston at the end of next week. Maybe this is part of La Russa’s cunning plan, to secure another #1 draft pick next year. Perhaps we can even hold onto this one for a bit?

Having conceded 46 runs over the last four games, our pitching staff will be hoping the Brewers are a bit less of a challenge than the Dodgers and Nationals. The team record for runs conceded over a five-game span, incidentally, is 52, so a six-pack of runs this evening would be enough to tie that up. The record run-differential is -40 - both figures date from late August 2005 - so losing by five runs would also tie Arizona in that department of futility. Tonight’s game is a rematch of the contest in Milwaukee on July 25, which was Shipley’s major-league debut. That one was was won by the Brewers 7-2; a repeat would set a new mark for runs and tie the record for run differential. I’m sure the excitement will be palpable at Chase Field tonight...

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