Well, that sucked. Since I last wrote, the Diamondbacks have played three of the weakest teams in the National League, and lost all but one of the seven games. No question why. They’ve scored only eighteen times in those seven games combined - that’s 2.57 per game, if you’re counting - conceded 45 runs, and are batting .212 as a team over that time, with an OPS of only .620. To put that into context, one of the 88 qualifying players in the National League currently has an OPS as low as that. [Omar Vizquel, in case you were wondering] Somehow, we’re still only 2.5 games back, but if this team’s hitters were a horse, it would be taken outside and shot.

You will understand if I, as a result, move right along - this will not be an in-depth examination of the games played this week, because there are only so many ways to say “We sucked.” Here’s a few suggestions from my thesaurus: poor, unsatisfactory, below par, not up to scratch (or snuff), offensive, uncongenial, unpleasant, unsympathetic, icky, yucky, unfavorable, unpropitious, putrid, rotten. Take those words, combine them with some pointed sarcasm, and hey presto, the Jim McLennan Diamondbacks Game Report Writer is ready for action this week. Let’s see what it churns out!

AZ 1, Giants 4 After a bright start, Arizona scoring with one out in the top of the first, it was all downhill. The Diamondbacks didn’t score again, and the Giants got all four of their runs off Doug Davis two outs. He walked six in 5.2 innings, and also allowed seven hits, as he racked up his ninth loss of the campaign. The hitters struggled against Lowry and the Giants bullpen, with only Orlando Hudson (two hits and a walk) having much success.

AZ 0, Giants 13 The most runs conceded this year, the biggest defeat since an 18-4 loss to the Mets on August 24, 2005 and the most emphatic shutout in franchise history. Any questions? Arizona’s feeble bats managed only four singles, a double and no walks, while the Giants blew this one open in a six-run fifth inning, as Micah Owings fell apart the third time through the rotation, as is his habit. If you had the stomach to stick around until the end of this one, you’re a better man than I.

AZ 3, Cardinals 11. Another day, different city, another double-digit defeat. We flattered to deceive initially, scoring three times in the top of the sixth to take a brief 3-2 lead. However, St. Louis got, first to Brandon Webb, and then our bullpen. Our relief corps allowed six hits, two walks and six runs in two innings of work, though weren’t helped by a Jackson error which led to four unearned runs crossing home-plate. And the lack of hits just kept on coming; only four in the entire game for Arizona.

AZ 7, Cardinals 1 The Diamondbacks extended their losing streak to fou…what? We won? How did that happen? Yusmeiro Petit (left), called up to replace Randy Johnson (whose back got him back on the DL), took a shutout into the sixth, while Chad Tracy, Mark Reynolds and Chris Young all smacked homers in the first three innings. They gave the Diamondbacks a 6-0 lead, and we cruised thereafter, though still only had four hits and no walks in the remaining six innings. The shape of things to come…

AZ 4, Cardinals 5 The fireworks lit up Busch Stadium in the late innings - and, unfortunately, so did the Cardinals. They scored twice off Brandon Lyon in the bottom of the eighth inning to take the lead for the first time and held on, despite a leadoff double from Stephen Drew in the ninth. That wasted a ten-hit game, positively an explosion by recent standards, with Miguel Montero, Drew and Eric Byrnes having two-hit games, and a quality start by Livan Hernandez, who allowed three runs in seven innings, and also hit a two-run homer.

AZ 2, Cardinals 3 Adam Wainwright took a no-hitter into the fifth for St. Louis, and the D-backs’ clutch incompetence cost them this one. After Augie Ojeda made it a one-run game with a triple in the eighth, the Diamondbacks left the tying run at third with one out. And they then repeated the failure in the ninth, Miguel Montero instead grounding into a game-ending double-play. Davis produced a quality start, though still walked five in seven innings, but a three-run homer to Encarnacion proved (just) enough for the Cardinals.

AZ 1, Reds 8 Another journeyman pitcher was made to look like Cy Young by the Diamondbacks offense. This time, it was Kyle Lohse, who came in with a 4-10 record, but allowed only one hit until the ninth inning, and finished with a complete game four-hitter. We were kinda in this (only 3-0 down) before Owings met the Reds third time through their order: then, five of six batters reached safely. The bullpen looms large in Micah’s future if this keeps up. Tracy drove in our sole run, with a bases-loaded double-play.

News and Notes
Soaring: Stephen Drew (7-for-24); Orlando Hudson (7-for-25); Yusmeiro Petit (5.1 IP, 1 ER); Dustin Nippert (3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER). Falling: Chris Young (3-for-25, 7 K); Carlos Quentin (0-for-9, sent to Triple-A); Micah Owings (8.2 IP, 13 ER); Edgar Gonzalez (5.1 IP, 6 ER).

Injury Report: Randy Johnson was scratched as short notice from his scheduled start, with his back proving too much a problem to overcome. He’s eligible to come off the Disabled List shortly after the All-Star break, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it ends up being longer. Yusmeiro Petit takes his rotation spot, and ‘The Petit Unit’ has been very effective in his first two appearances for the Diamondbacks.

The Week Ahead: Is it the All-Star break yet? Not quite. Arizona has got two games to get through first against Cincinnatti before they get some much-needed time off. They also have a scheduled day off on Thursday, and then start a series at home against the San Diego Padres on Sunday.

Hey, now, you’re an All-Star: Jose Valverde and, to my surprise, Orlando Hudson were named to the National League All-Star team. No love for Eric Byrnes at all, despite him being probably our best offensive player through the first half of the season. Brandon Webb came last in the ‘Final Man’ vote for the 25th spot on the roster, which went to the Padres’ Chris Young, but still got in as replacement for the injured Brian Fuentes.

By the time I get to Tucson…: Much-touted prospect Carlos Quentin was sent down to the Triple-A Sidewinders to see if he can fix what ails him. The right-fielder had been hitting only .210, well below what was expected. With Jeff DaVanon still not in sight, the team called up Jeff Salazar, who’d been picked up off the waiver wire from Colorado. He had been hitting .301 with 8 HR and 50 RBI in 83 games for Tucson.

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