Snake Bytes: Absence of Offense

I cannot say that I was disappointed to miss this game on my quest to build wealth and eventually take over the Diamondbacks. Edinson Volquez twirled a gem tossing the 6th no hitter in Marlins’ franchise history. Braden Shipley (0-1, 6.75 ERA) makes the trip from AAA Reno to make his 2nd start in the majors this season and faces Vance Worley (0-2, 4.50 ERA).

Marlins 3, Diamondbacks 0

[D’backs.com] Delgado sharp, but D-backs no-hit in Miami - On the birth date of his late countryman and former teammate, Yordando Ventura, Edinson Volquez managed to no hit the Diamondbacks shortly after paying tribute to his friend. He only walked 2 Diamondbacks, but 2 double plays allowed him to face the minimum through 9 innings requiring only 98 pitches. The feat almost did not happen as Volquez collided with Rey Fuentes in the first and appeared to be injured on the play. He managed to remain in the game and punish the Diamondbacks’ offense.

"This was for Ventura and Jose," Volquez said. "Everybody loved Jose. I can say that's for him, too. I really appreciate what he did here and people loved him. I'm really blessed to throw a no-hitter on his bump."

[Arizona Sports] D-backs no-hit for third time in franchise history in loss to Marlins - Randall Delgado was impressive again filling in for Taijuan Walker. Delgado pitched 5 ¹⁄₃ throwing 93 pitches and gave up only 1 earned run. In his 3 starts this season, he has pitched 15 innings allowing 3 earned runs. It may be difficult to stretch him past 6 innings, but his fill in performance so far has been acceptable.

Diamondbacks News

[D’backs.com] D-backs calling up Shipley to start Sunday - Shipley was the Pitcher of the Month for AAA Reno going 2-0 in 4 starts with a 3.67 ERA in May. The Diamondbacks will need a serviceable start from him in order to salvage a series split. Last month against Washington he only managed to go four innings and looked lost at times.

"I felt like we didn't see the best of what he could offer us," Lovullo said. "There were times that he was picking up the zone. The stuff was good. I thought the fastball was playing very aggressively. It's just that he was not on the attack the way you'd like to see. I know that's something he addressed, I know that's something that he took care of while he was down in the Minor Leagues, and obviously it translated because he's throwing the ball very, very well."

[AZ Central] Diamondbacks legend Luis Gonzalez helps rescue woman in fiery crash - World Series hero Luis Gonzalez was at the right place when he witnessed a head on car collision after 5:30 PM on Lincoln. The vehicle that crossed the center median burst into flames immediately. Gonzalez’s friend assisted the driver of that vehicle while he assisted the driver of the other vehicle.

"I was just glad that I was there and able to help her out, and my friends were there to help defuse the situation quick, and that the fire department and police department were outstanding," Gonzalez said. "I can’t say enough about those guys. It makes you appreciate what they do for a living more and more every day."

[Venom Strikes] As spot-starter, Delgado continues to impress - An interesting point to make note of, the Diamondbacks have 4 off days in June followed by the All Star break in July and an additional 3 days off in that month. This may allow Lovullo some flexibility with his pitching staff. It will be interesting to see how the first year manager decides to utilize Zack Godley, Randall Delgado, and possibly Braden Shipley. He can choose to give Zack Greinke, Patrick Corbin, Robbie Ray, and Taijuan Walker additional rest, or stretch out a 4 man rotation. Delgado has earned additional looks with his recent performances to say nothing of what Godley has accomplished.

Around the League

[ESPN] Albert Pujols: 'Pretty special' to be ninth ever to reach 600 home runs - Albert Pujols became the 9th member of the 600 home run club joining Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Alex Rodriguez, Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr., Jim Thome, and Sammy Sosa. While not quite the player he once was in St. Louis, the accomplishment puts his longevity and success on display. 23 year old Angels fan, Scott Steffel, caught the historic home run and said that all he wanted to do was hand Pujols his ball. Albert now looks to become the only player besides Aaron and Rodriguez with 2,000 RBI, 3,000 hits, and 600 home runs.

[Sports Illustrated] Steroids, Ken Caminiti and the inside story of the SI article that changed baseball forever - Tom Verducci opens a time capsule discussing the steroid era in baseball, and his 2002 cover story with Ken Caminiti. While performance enhancing drugs have not been eliminated from the sport, the game has fundamentally changed after random testing was agreed to by the Players’ Union and MLB.

The number of hitters who qualified for the batting title or pitchers who qualified for the ERA title at age 35-and-over has dropped 40% in the past two years (36) as compared to the last two seasons without steroid penalties (60). The number of 60-home run seasons also is revelatory. In just a four-year window at the height of The Steroid Era (1998 to 2001) there were six such seasons, all by hitters connected to steroids: Bonds, McGwire (twice) and Sammy Sosa (three times). In the 137 other seasons before and since that tiny window, it has happened only twice.

[Fangraphs] The Rockies Are Still in an Enviable Position - The Colorado Rockies remain as a hurdle to the Diamondbacks post season hopes. There are 13 remaining games against them with 7 in the month of September after a seemingly brutal August schedule. Worse still is that the Rockies are currently getting it done with a 83 wRC+ which ranks 27th in the majors. Their pitching staff has made up the difference this season as Jon Gray continues to work towards his recovery. Nonetheless, unexpected seasons from Arizona and Colorado should make for an interesting NL West race to watch in the second half of the season.