Over the last month and a half Boston Red Sox starter Jon Lester has been one of the best in baseball going 8-0 with a 2.18 ERA. Today the Arizona Diamondbacks saw why he has been so successful. Lester pitched seven innings and allowed only four hits and two runs while striking out seven.
Rodrigo Lopez did not fair as well for Arizona allowing six runs on ten hits in seven innings in the 6-2 loss in Fenway. Sam Demel made his first appearance for the D-backs and looked impressive. Demel did not allow a base runner and struck out one in his inning. Demel thre 13 pitches, 9 of which were strikes.
For only the second time in the last ten games Justin Upton did not strike out. Upton, hitting in the seventh spot went 2-for-3 on the day with a walk and knocked in both of Arizona’s runs. With Chris Young on base in the second inning Upton hit a 2-run homer which at the time tied the score.
Chandler AZ resident and former ASU star Dustin Pedroia hit his ninth homer of the eyar and went 2-for-4 on the day.
The D-backs try to take one in Fenway tomorrow when they send Dan Haren to the mound.
]]>The Arizona Diamondbacks had to rally for five runs in the seventh and eight inning to tie the Atlanta Braves at 7-7. But the comeback effort was wasted in the top of the ninth as closer Chad Qualls coming off four solid outings in a row allowed five hits and four earned runs while only recording one out.
Dontrelle Willis got his second start of the year for the D-backs and continued to struggle with walks. Willis only lasted 4 innings allowing two runs to score on three hits and six walks. Willis threw 95 pitches in only four innings, only 49 of which were for strikes.
The D-backs made a run in the bottom of the ninth loading the bases with only one out. Braves closer Billy Wagner would close the door striking out Rusty Ryal and Chris Snyder giving the D-backs 16 strikeouts on the day.
Kelly Johson was 2-for-4 on the day with three runs batted in, but also struck out two times. Justin Upton, Adam LaRoche and John Hester each struck out three times stranding 10 base runners.
]]>Ian Kennedy was strong once again tonight for the Arizona Diamondbacks in his start against the Atlanta Braves. Kennedy went seven innings allowing only three hits and striking out six. Kennedy did allow five walks, but held the Braves scoreless. Since April 24th Kennedy has a 3-2 record with a 2.65 ERA over the ten starts. Chad Qualls earned his 12th save of the season and now has not allowed an earned run in his last four appearances.
If there was bad news for the D-backs in the 2-1 win it was they could not get any offense going off Braves starter Kenshin Kawakami who entered the game with an 0-8 record. Kawakami allowed only four hits over six innings and recorded a season high eight strikeouts against the D-backs lineup.
The D-backs allowed one run to score in the top of the seventh inning, but the 1-0 lead did not last long. In the bottom of the seventh Gerardo Parra hit a long fly to right-center field that lead to Braves outfielders running into each other. Mark Reynolds and Parra scored on the play giving the Diamondbacks a 2-1 lead which they would hold.
]]>Each of the four pitchers for the Arizona Diamondbacks allowed a run in tonight’s game against the Atlanta Braves. Edwin Jackson pitched a complete game shutout in his last outing, but tonight he allowed four earned runs on seven hits and three walks in six innings of work.
Jackson would be relieved in the seventh inning by Blaine Boyer who was recalled from the minors earlier in the day. Tied 4-4, Boyer would allow one run to score on two hits and a walk. Vasque and Gutierrez would each allow one run to score in the eight and ninth innings leading to the 7-5 loss.
Kelly Johnson continued his recent hot hitting going 3-for-4 with three runs batted in and is now hitting .375 over his last ten games. Johnson would be joined by Justin Upton and Mark Reynolds with homers on the night.
Despite hitting only .217 on the season Reynolds is now tied for second in the NL in homers and fifth in RBI’s only 2 behind NL leader Troy Glaus.
]]>The Arizona Diamondbacks were able to get to Atlanta Braves starter Derek Lowe scoring seven runs on eight hits and two walks in four innings earning the team their third win in their last four games. Dan Haren lasted 5.2 innings for the D-backs allowing three runs on nine hits striking out five.
Aaron Heilman would pitch strong again with his 5th scoreless outing in his last 6 appearances. Heilman came into the game with one out and bases loaded. He would hit a batter allowing a run to score before retiring the next two Braves. Chad Qualls would pick up the save in the 9th despite walking three batters.
Stephen Drew had a big night going 2-for-4 with four runs batted in including knocking in one run in the first inning and another three with a tripple. Mark Reynolds hit his 13th homer and knocked in his 42nd run in the 4th inning off Lowe.
]]>Dontrelle Willis got his first start for his new team tonight as they took on division rivals Colorado Rockies. Willis looked more like the 2003-2006 version of D-Train than he did the Detroit Tigers version.
Willis lasted six innings allowing five hits and three strikeouts. Walks have been an issue with Willis in recent years and tonight he did allow four in his outing. Carlos Rosa who had been one of the more consistent relievers for the D-backs this year almost blew the game allowing three runs to score on three hits and two walks in his .2 innings. Aaron Heilman did come in for Rosa in the seventh to get the last out of the seventh and would pitch the eighth getting the hold and Chad Qualls would have his first good outing in over a week getting the save.
Ryan Roberts would would pinch hit for Willis in the sixth and hit a two-run double scoring Chris Young and Conor Jackson. Kelly Johnson would then knock in Roberts giving the D-backs the 4-0 lead heading into the seventh.
The D-backs go for the sweep tomorrow when they send Rodrigo Lopez to the mound to face the best pitcher in baseball this year Ubaldo Jimenez.
]]>A week ago the Arizona Diamondbacks looked like they may have steadied the ship, but then they hit the road this week and got swept in back-to-back series by division rivals Colorado and the San Francisco Giants.
The D-backs were able to ride strong pitching from Ian Kennedy and head into the ninth inning with a 5-3. Kennedy, who has probably been the D-backs best pitcher this year allowed only two runs on five hits and three walks while striking out six. Kennedy left after the sixth inning and now has a 3.38 ERA on the season.
The D-backs would take a 5-3 lead into the last of the ninth when manager A.J. Hinch would turn to “closer” Chad Qualls. Qualls would blow his fourth save opportunity this year. This year Qualls has pitched 17.2 innings and allowed 31 hits and 15 earned runs. Batters are hitting .383 off Qualls this year, it may be time for the D-backs to go a different route with the bullpen and start from scratch.
Carlos Rosa, while far from perfect, has been one of the better bullpen members over the last three weeks. But Rosa would allow a run on three hits in the tenth recording the loss.
Kelley Johnson was 4-for-4 on the day with two runs scored and catcher Chris Snyder was 2-for-4 with a homer and two knocked in.
The D-backs are now nine games behind division leaders San Diego and tied for the second worst record in the NL.
]]>The story of the day was not the Arizona Diamondbacks losing their fifth straight game or them now being out-homered on the current road trip 10-to-1, the story of the day was a near perfect game pitched by San Francisco Giants starter Matt Cain.
The D-backs offense continues to struggle as only third baseman Mark Reynolds reached base against the Giants. Reynolds reached base on a double in the second inning and was hit by a pitch in the fifth. Cain finished his nine scoreless innings with only the one hit and nine strikeouts.
Edwin Jackson pitched better than he has most of the season allowing three runs on four hits and five walks while striking out seven in his seven innings of work. Chad Qualls would come into the eighth inning and two runs on three hits and a walk.
]]>The Arizona Diamondbacks were trying to snap a three game losing streak when they sent Dan Haren to the mound against the Colorado Rockies. A win would also mean the D-backs only lost one game to the Rockies and not three games during the series of games. Instead Dan Haren allowed four homes and the D-backs recorded their fourth loss in a row after winning four in a row.
Dan Haren is having anything but his typical start to the season. With this loss he has slipped to 5-4 with a 5.35 ERA and has allowed 16 home runs in 11 games. Ten in his last three games.
The D-backs have now allowed 82 homers on the season, compare that to the 31 the Rockies have allowed. The worst came in the seventh inning as Haren allowed back-to-back-to-back homers.
The offense also continued to struggle scoring only two runs in the game. Both runs came in the sixth inning on RBIs by Chris Young and Chris Snyder. Stephen Drew continues to be the most consistent bat going 2-for-3 on the day with a walk and is now hitting .310.
The D-backs home to right the course tomorrow as they head to San Francisco.
]]>Arizona Diamondbacks starter Ian Kennedy did all he could to keep his team in the game against the Colorado Rockies, but the D-backs fell just short. Kennedy fell to 3-3 on the season with a 3.41 ERA after only lasting five innings. Kennedy allowed three earned runs on five hits and four walks while surrendering two homers.
Kennedy allowed two of the three runs on homers. The first homer came in the two-run second off Brad Hawpe’s bat. Kennedy also allowed a solo shot to Troy Tulowitzki in the third.
The D-backs got on the board in the sixth inning when Conor Jackson drove in Kelly Johnson with a double. Jackson would then score the second run of the inning off the bat of Justin Upton.
The D-backs are now 20-26 on the season in last place in the NL west 6 games in back of San Diego and 3.5 games behind the fourth place Rockies.
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