Snake Bytes 8/6: Stranded on the Rock

I was radio only for the first half of the game on my way back home from Tucson, and by the 6th inning it appeared the Diamondbacks would win their 4th game in a row. That was until the wheels fell completely off, and San Francisco went home winners in extras. Today’s rubber match features the unpredictable Patrick Corbin (8-10, 4.77 ERA) against the equally confusing Jeff Samardzija (6-1, 4.77 ERA)

Giants 5, Diamondbacks 4

[D’backs.com] D-backs' lead slips away in walk-off loss - Taijuan Walker had cruised through most of the game without much difficulty. After he finished the 6th inning, I figured that I would step away and clean up from my day’s earlier adventures thinking that his day was done and the game won. In the span of 15 minutes, San Francisco was now in striking distance with the game standing at 4-3. Taijuan had given up consecutive doubles to Pablo Sandoval and Jarrett Parker with a two run homer following from Hunter Pence ending his night. Walker would finish the day after 6 innings pitched giving up 6 hits, 3 earned runs, on 0 walks, and 6 strikeouts. Andrew Chafin and T.J. McFarland were unable to keep runners off of the basepaths allowing the tying run to score in the eighth with the winning run coming in the 10th.

[Arizona Sports] Diamondbacks lose 4-run lead, fall to Giants in 10 innings - Arizona struggled once again with runners in scoring position going 2 for 16 ultimately leaving 13 runners on base. The Diamondbacks managed to load the bases with two outs in the 9th with the score tied at 4, but were unable to pull ahead at that point. J.D. Martinez had a multi-hit game for Arizona turning his fortunes as of late, and none of his 3 hits left the yard. David Peralta was the only other player for Arizona with multiple hits in the game at 3.

"It's tough to absorb. I feel like we did a lot of things right early in the game and we put ourselves in a position to win this game. We just couldn't get that big hit at the right time. I know there was a number of men left in scoring position, and obviously that's the name of the game." - Torey Lovullo

Diamondbacks News

[MLB.com] How D-backs' rotation turned it around - The starting rotation was one of the biggest question marks heading into the 2017 season. Nearly everything had to go right for this team to be in its current position. Even after losing Shelby Miller early in the season and DL stints for Taijuan Walker and Robbie Ray, replacements such as Anthony Banda, Randall Delgado, and Zack Godley have made enormous contributions. My guess for this year’s success? Dan Haren’s pregame “Mean Tweets” with the starting five.

[Arizona Sports] D-backs OF Yasmany Tomas tweets he will be playing in minors next week - If Arizona somehow miraculously makes it to the Fall Classic, Yasmany Tomas will finally provide value to this team as a designated hitter. His injury this season prompted Mike Hazen to trade for J.D. Martinez prior to the deadline.

[Venom Strikes] Arizona Diamondbacks could be major sleeper in 2017 playoffs - Success in October can be attributed to a team getting hot at the right time. Arizona will not have to go with a 5 man rotation should the team make it past the 1 game play-in (this is me anticipating they make it that far). The pitching staff has the talent to match up with most other teams in the league. The offense, when not leaving an extreme amount of runners on base in scoring position, has the ability to put an opposing team in a deep hole quickly. David Hernandez returning to the Diamondbacks gives Torey Lovullo another power arm to pair with Archie Bradley at the back of the bullpen. August and September will provide a glimpse at how well Arizona could perform against potential playoff opponents.

[AZ Central] Diamondbacks' J.D. Martinez not satisfied with recent production - J.D. Martinez has been a bit of an all or nothing hitter since arriving in Arizona, but perhaps his struggles can be attributed to an unfamiliarity with the National League pitchers he has been facing. With players like Davide Peralta, A.J. Pollock, and PAul Goldschmidt ahead of Martinez it is only a matter of time until he finds himself in a favorable hitting position to begin causing damage.

“I think that with good teams, when guys are struggling, [other] guys step up,” Martinez said. “And then when those guys struggle, other guys step up. I know I’m going to turn it around. I’ve been through it before.”

Around the League

[MLB Trade Rumors] Players That Have Cleared Revocable Waivers - Only a whopping 3 known players on this list in Justin Verlander, Curtis Granderson, and Jay Bruce. There could be quite a few additional names that just have not been announced at this time.

Players can be traded into September, as well, but only those traded on or before Aug. 31 will be eligible for the postseason with their new teams, so there’s some urgency for contending clubs to complete deals by month’s end.

[MLB.com] Trout joins elite company with 20th homer - Last week during the round table the Pit staff was asked which active players were likely to reach 3,000 hits in their career. If Mike Trout managed to average just 150 hits per season he would reach that milestone before he turned 40 years of age. He has not missed a beat in his return from the disabled list after tearing a ligament in his top hand. Trout has undeniably been one of the best position players since his first fill season in the league.

[Bleacher Report] 'My Country Is Misery:' The MLB Stars Who Are Too Scared to Go Back Home - It is easy for us fans to sit back and complain about Player X’s struggles at the plate or on the field without truly understanding what that person is struggling with internally. Some of the league’s premier players are from Venezuela, but as they attempt to bring their teams success in the United States, their families fear for their lives in the home country. No amount of fame or fortune could ease those concerns.

"It's not only saying, 'I'm supporting you,'" [Francisco] Cervelli said. "It's screaming loud and asking for help. Every day I wake up and I feel worse. You see how the world is so quiet about this stuff. We have to make a change. [The socialist government] has been there 18 years... They made everything worse. It's time for them to go. My country is misery."

[Sports Illustrated] Who Won the Biggest Trade Deadline Deals of the Past 10 Years? - The title specifically says “biggest” deadline deals, but one of the best Diamondbacks deadline deals in recent memory was when outgoing GM Kevin Towers traded Gerardo Parra to the Brewers for Mitch Haniger and Anthony Banda. We have seen what Banda has been capable of in his brief time with the big league club this season, while Haniger was included in a package that returned Taijuan Walker and Ketel Marte to the Diamondbacks.