Padres 8, Diamondbacks 4 — Galarraga struggles again

Posted on May 16, 2011 by

Armando Galarraga had another rough outing Monday, giving up eight total runs (David Kadlubowski/The Arizona Republic)

Momentum is only as good as the next game’s starting pitcher.

Unfortunately for the Diamondbacks, every fifth day has belonged Armando Galarraga.

The Arizona righty barely made the rotation after spring training and hasn’t performed well for much of the season.

Monday was no different.

With no help from his defense, Galarraga put the D-Backs in a big hole early, one they couldn’t dig out of as Arizona fell 8-4 to San Diego Monday night at Chase Field.

Galarraga (3-4) went five innings, giving up five earned runs. His ERA is now 5.91 in a year dominated by pitchers around the big leagues.

“He didn’t pitch very well at all, didn’t set a very good tone for us,” D-Backs manager Kirk Gibson told MLB.com. “Really didn’t have much tonight at all. Just did not have a good performance at all.”

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Diamondbacks 4, Dodgers 1 — Second inning power

Posted on May 16, 2011 by

Ryan Roberts hits the second of back-to-back home runs in the second inning Sunday in Los Angeles (AP photo/Mark J. Terrill

For the second consecutive game, the Diamondbacks’ offense was kept at bay for eight innings.

But for the second consecutive game it didn’t matter.

Arizona used a four run second inning to power pass the Dodgers Sunday 4-1 and take the team’s first series in Los Angeles since 2007.

Xavier Nady and Ryan Roberts hit back-to-back homers off of Ted Lilly to highlight the frame. By the way, please check out these guys at http://www.dvrkits.com - they really did a good job with the video surveillance that was provided.

“[Stephen] Drew had a good at-bat in front of me, and then I saw a couple of pitches and obviously got something I could handle,” Nady told MLB.com. “Lilly was tough on me after that, and tough on everybody. He just had that one bad inning.” Continue reading →

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D-Backs 1, Dodgers 0 — One hit winners, Collmenter shines

Posted on May 14, 2011 by

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Josh Collmenter throws to the plate. (AP Photo)

The number one hasn’t been kind to the Arizona Diamondbacks lately.

Having dropped six of their last seven, all by one run, quite frankly they were sick of the number one.

Saturday, the number one was finally kind to the Snakes.

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Dodgers 4, D-Backs 3 — Different day, same story

Posted on May 14, 2011 by

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Rod Barajas, center, hits a solo home run as Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Joe Saunders, left, looks on along with home plate umpire Ted Barrett during the fifth inning. (AP Photo)

The Arizona Diamondbacks’ long road trip may have changed cities, but the result was the exact same.

With a 4-3 loss in Los Angeles Friday night, Arizona fell to 1-6 on that road trip.

That alone may be enough for a team’s frustrations to boil over.

Add in that all six losses on the trip have been by just one run and you have a team searching for answers.

The six straight one-run losses is a new franchise record.

“We are close. It isn’t a negative vibe,” centerfielder Chris Young told MLB.com. “We are a little down right now because it has been a bad road trip. We realize that we are just a click away from winning all of these games. We have to find a way to stay positive.

“We have to find a way to not try and go for the home run, to go for the single and play small ball at times and make adjustments.”

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Series preview: Arizona Diamondbacks (15-21) at Los Angeles Dodgers (18-20)

Posted on May 13, 2011 by

Time: 7:10 MST, 4:10 MST and 1:10 MST

TV: FSAZ, Fox and FSAZ

D-Backs

Dodgers

Winning and losing in Major League Baseball is a fickle phenomenon.

Just ask the Diamondbacks.

In their last eight losses, the team has been outscored by just 11 runs, including four consecutive one run defeats.

Arizona had its chances in each game in San Fransisco earlier this week but failed to capitalize on its opportunities.

On Wednesday and Thursday, the D-Backs had the tying run in scoring position only to falter at the plate.

The World Champion Giants on the other hand took what Arizona gave them and scratched out three close wins like champions do.

Arizona will attempt to salvage its NL West road trip over the weekend in Los Angeles against an equally inconsistent Dodgers squad.

Friday night will see Joe Saunders (0-4, 5.72 ERA) take on Clayton Kershaw (4-3, 3.12 ERA) under the Chavez Ravine lights.

Saunders entered spring training in February as the presumptive ace for the D-Backs.

But the veteran lefty hasn’t lived up to expectations to say the least. Continue reading →

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Giants 3, Diamondbacks 2 — Unable to get the job done again

Posted on May 12, 2011 by

The Diamondbacks' Kelly Johnson walks away from home plate after taking a called third strike against Giants pitcher Javier Lopez during the ninth inning of Thursday's game in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

The difference between winning and losing is a fine line. The Arizona Diamondbacks learned just that lesson the past three days in San Francisco.

The Giants didn’t outplay the D-Backs by that much, but by just enough to sweep the series with three one-run victories.

Enough to send one team to the top of the National League West and another one spirling towards the basement.

Unable to score the tying run from third base in the ninth inning, Arizona fell 3-2 to San Francisco Thursday afternoon, dropping a season worst six games under .500.

Proving how fine a line this road trip has been for Arizona, the D-Backs have outscored opponents 17-16 on the trip, but have lost five-of-six. Continue reading →

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Giants 4, Diamondbacks 3 — Late comeback falls short

Posted on May 11, 2011 by

Diamondbacks' Armando Galarraga (59) reaches to make the tag without the ball on Giants' Aaron Rowand during the fourth inning. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

If anyone needed a clutch hit to give the Diamondbacks a late lead, it was Kelly Johnson.

Mired in a dreadful slump, Johnson stepped to the plate with the tying and go-ahead runs on base with two outs in the 9th inning Wednesday, facing Giants’ closer Brian Wilson.

Already 2-for-4 on the day, Johnson could have capped his night as the hero.

Instead, he came up five feet short.

Johnson’s flyball was hit well, but fell into Andres Torres’ glove for the final out, sending the D-Backs to their second straight one run defeat at the hands of San Francisco.

The loss secured the second straight series loss for Arizona.

The D-Backs jumped on Giants’ left-hander Jonathan Sanchez for a pair of early runs.

In the first inning, Johnson led the game off with a double and Ryan Roberts drew a walk. After Justin Upton moved the runners up to second and third with a groundout, Stephen Drew made it 1-0 on an RBI groundout.

“We had a ton of chances early,” Arizona manager Kirk Gibson told MLB.com. “The results are what they are.” Continue reading →

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