Snake Bytes 7/7: Stuck in the Middle

Arizona Diamondbacks 4, Colorado Rockies 2

[D’backs.com] Lamb’s blast long time coming in D-backs’ win - Jake Lamb’s first home run in more than a year could signal the return of another offensive threat to help the D-backs the rest of the way. A day after Christian Walker’s first career two-homer game, Lamb had two hits, including a two-run, opposite-field homer to help the D-backs to a 4-2 victory over the Rockies, secured when Greg Holland struck out Ryan McMahon as the potential tying run in the ninth.

[Arizona Sports] Robbie Ray produces top-notch start, D-backs win second straight - A crucial piece to the Arizona Diamondbacks’ starting rotation found his footing once again Saturday night. An aggressive Robbie Ray went to work against the Colorado Rockies Saturday night, picking up his sixth win of the season as the D-backs took a tight 4-2 victory over the visitors. Ray, who entered the matchup fourth in the NL in strikeouts (129) added eight more to his season total as the D-backs won their second consecutive game against the Rockies. Prior to the series, Colorado had won the last eight games over Arizona.

[AZ Central] Patience pays off for Jake Lamb with big night in Diamondbacks’ win over Rockies - The Diamondbacks’ Jake Lamb did not seem to want to think about the significance of his sixth-inning home run on Saturday night, did not want to contemplate that it was not just his first homer of the year but his first in 376 days at the major league level. His manager, however, did not mind the extra attention that was heaped upon Lamb after the Diamondbacks’ 4-2 win over the Colorado Rockies. Torey Lovullo welcomed it. After a third consecutive question about Lamb’s best night in recent memory – a performance that also included an eight-pitch walk in the second inning and a single (off a lefty, no less) in the seventh – Lovullo smiled. “I’m glad we’re making a big deal of Jake today,” he said. “He deserves it.”

Diamondbacks News

[AZ Central] Shoulder issue could sideline Arizona Diamondbacks’ David Peralta longer on latest injured list stint - The Diamondbacks placed left fielder David Peralta on the 10-day injured list for the second time this season, both coming as the result of a shoulder issue that has nagged him since May. The injury is being termed the same as before — inflammation in the AC joint of the right shoulder — and while manager Torey Lovullo said an MRI on Thursday revealed improvement in the area from the last time Peralta had tests in May, he also said the club likely is going to be more conservative in bringing Peralta back this time around. “I think what we’ve learned with David is he’s such a team guy and wants to be out there that we’re maybe going to slow-play it until this is all done,” Lovullo said. “We’re going to be a little bit more cautious.” Peralta’s first injured list stint cost him 11 games from late-May to early-June. No timetable was provided, but it would seem likely he will be out longer on this stint.

[Arizona Sports] D-backs’ Zack Greinke replaced in All-Star Game for personal reasons - After tossing seven shut out innings against the Rockies on Friday, speculation may have started to brew that the 35-year-old could get the nod to start for the NL All-Star team on Tuesday. That speculation was shot down on Saturday as the MLB announced on Twitter that Greinke had been replaced from the All-Star game due to a personal matter. Greinke would have had three full days of rest before tossing in the mid-summer classic and his numbers certainly warrant a consideration for the starting spot. He is tied for the NL lead in wins and ranks in the top five in ERA, WHIP and innings pitched. He is ranked No. 15 in the NL in strikeouts with 108.

Around the League

[MLB.com] Futures FAQ: Lineups, how to watch, more - Several of the top prospects in the Minors, including four of the top five in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list, will take the field tonight in the 21st edition of the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game at Progressive Field in Cleveland. Rather than the traditional U.S. vs. World setup, this year’s game has been tweaked to mirror the All-Star Game and will feature the American League against the National League. The event has also been shortened to seven innings. But just because there’s less baseball doesn’t mean there’s any less excitement about the game. So, how can you watch and who should you keep an eye on? This year’s Futures Game will be live on MLB Network and streamed on MLB.com at 7 p.m. ET tonight. Greg Amsinger, Harold Reynolds and Jim Callis will call the game while Heidi Watney will provide commentary from both dugouts. The game also will be available to SiriusXM subscribers.

[Yahoo Sports] Angels’ Andrew Heaney pays tribute to late teammate Tyler Skaggs with first pitch - In his first start since Tyler Skaggs’ death, teammate and best friend Andrew Heaney paid tribute to Skaggs in a special way. With his first pitch to Houston Astros’ leadoff hitter George Springer, Heaney dropped a sweeping curve in honor of his late teammate. Heaney, clearly emotional, threw the pitch for a ball before getting into rhythm. Heaney also wrote Skaggs’ initials on the mound prior to pitching along with a tribute on his hat.