Preview, #107: 7/29 @ Marlins

Seems like we’ve been playing the Marlins forever, doesn’t it? This is the fourth in the four-game series which, outside of Nick Ahmed’s grand-slam on Saturday, has largely not gone the way the Diamondbacks wanted. Though there is part of me which wonders if it’s perhaps for the best. A false illusion of contention (like the one currently being experienced by the San Francisco Giants) could be more problematic than accepting the reality, that this team - especially after the injuries - not much more than a .500 outfit this season. Certainly, one that can get no better than a split against the Marlins, is not one which should be laboring under the illusion of meaningful October baseball.

Still, I’m at peace with that, and the trade deadline is considerably later than I expected to be writing the epitaph for the 2019 season. Given the April schedule, I’m quite surprised to have made it out of the first month without having a draft article entitled “The 2019 Arizona Diamondbacks: what went wrong?” The offense weathered the departure of Paul Goldschmidt and A.J, Pollock far better than I expected, while Luke Weaver and today’s starter Merrill Kelly proved to be decent additions to the rotation, in place of Patrick Corbin. That kept the team relevant, in a year where I was not expecting anything more than a soft rebuild.

Of course, now I’ve gone through the five stages of grief and reached acceptance, they will now probably go on a tear, win the finale, sweep the Yankees in New York, and go back to Arizona a game out of the second wild-card spot. I’d be okay with that as well. I just want them to make their damn minds up: either sink, and confirm what I’ve been suspecting for much of the past month, or float, so I can be pleasantly surprised. This vague flailing around causes nothing but confusion as to, borrowing a phrase from Stevie Smith, whether the D-backs are waving or drowning.