(AP Photo/Paul Connors)

As we enter the final month of the season, Arizona is still very much in the playoff picture. That comes, even after a disappointing week which saw them lose both series in the week, dropping three of four in San Diego against their biggest rivals, and then losing two of three against the Rockies back in Arizona. Still, they currently remain tied for the lead in the NL West, and even if they fell behind the Padres, still have a three-game lead over Philadelphia in the wild-card race. Four weeks to go, it should make for interesting viewing. With this being Labor Day, I’m going to cut this short, since I’m sure you have better things to do than read, and I have better things to do than write.
AZ 1, Padres 3 Livan Hernandez pitched very well, taking a 1-0 lead into the seventh, thanks to Eric Byrnes‘ nineteenth home-run of the season. However, after getting the first two outs, a walk and a homer to Blum gave the lead back to the Padres, and they held on for victory. Arizona struggled against likely Cy Young winner Jake Peavy, who fanned eleven D-backs and gave up only three hits in seven innings. Juan Cruz gave the Padres an insurance run in the eighth.

AZ 4, Padres 6 The Diamondbacks turned to Brandon Webb to strike back, but again, couldn’t held onto a second-half lead. San Diego scored four times in the bottom of the sixth, overturning a 3-2 lead, and pinning the loss on Webb. He gave up five hits and a walk, as well as hitting a man with the bases loaded. Conor Jackson anchored the offense with three hits, driving in two, including his eleventh homer. The bullpen did well, posting 2.2 perfect innings, Tony Peña, Dustin Nippert Doug Slaten combining for five K’s.

AZ 1, Padres 3 The Padres, once again, struck late, scoring two in the eighth inning to break open a game tied at one. Micah Owings went toe-to-toe with future Hall of Famer, Greg Maddux, each man allowing one run on seven innings - Owings only permitted three hits. However, Slaten and Brandon Lyon couldn’t hold things, and San Diego scored twice in the eighth on four hits and a walk. Chris Young and Justin Upton had two hits each, the former driving in the only AZ run, with a third-inning double.

AZ 8, Padres 7 The Diamondbacks avoided being swept, but it was very, very close. Didn’t look that way in the middle of the seventh, as Arizona had an 8-0 lead, but San Diego rallied against our relievers. They scored three in the seventh, three more in the eighth, and a solo homer off Jose Valverde made it a one-run game, but Papa Grande fanned the last two Padres. Mark Reynolds had a three hit, five RBI game, which also included one of the longest home-runs hit in Petco Park history.

AZ 3, Rockies 7 Again, the Diamondbacks ‘pen struggled, and again the opposition scored seven times in the last three innings. This time, however, we only had a three-run lead. Hernandez pitched brilliantly on short rest, escaping every jam to post seven innings of shutout ball, and looked in line for a win when Miguel Montero hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh. But Lyon allowed two in the eighth, Valverde blew a save in the ninth, then Peña and Slated combined for four unearned runs in the tenth. We were lucky it went that far, as Colorado outhit Arizona 17-3 in total.

AZ 13, Rockies 7 Neither starting pitcher was effective, both being pulled before the middle of the third, with the score at that point already 8-5 to Arizona. Edgar Gonzalez got the win, for 3.1 scoreless innings on relief of Dana Eveland, and the offense exploded for thirteen runs, matching a season high. Tony Clark drove in five, while Byrnes and Reynolds had three-hit games, and Young, Clark and Jeff Salazar added two apiece. This time, the bullpen held on, Gonzalez, Nippert, Cruz and Lyon allowing two runs in 6.1 innings of work.

AZ 3, Rockies 4 Brandon Webb wobbled badly in the first, with the first four Padres’ hitters reaching base, on two hits and two walks. By the time he escaped, it was 3-0 to San Diego, and though Arizona struck back immediately, scoring two in the bottom of the first, but were unable to get any closer. They outhit the Rockies 10-5, with Orlando Hudson, Clark, Stephen Drew and Upton getting two each. Webb settled down after the first, lasting seven innings with only one more run, but the offense couldn’t get the hits when they needed them.

News and Notes
Soaring: Mark Reynolds (8-for-22, 5 RBI); Stephen Drew (7-for-24, 5 RBI), Livan Hernandez (14 IP, 2 ER); Edgar Gonzalez (3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER). Falling: Eric Byrnes (5-for-29); Chris Snyder (2-for-16); Dana Eveland (2.2 IP, 5 ER); Juan Cruz (2.1 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 3 ER).

Roster Report: The question of the #5 starter remains unresolved, after Eveland’s poor appearance. Edgar Gonzalez seems a credible candidate, but I said that before… With rosters expanding at the start of September, reinforcements arrived; as well as Eveland, we also activated Carlos Quentin from the DL and brought up Robby Hammock, infielder Emilio Bonifacio, and relievers Jailen Peguero and Bill Murphy.

The Week Ahead: Another crucial series against San Diego is under way as I write - and at the moment, it looks like the Padres will take first blood. Two more games in that follow tomorrow and Wednesday. An off day Thursday, is followed by a trio of match-ups against the St. Louis Cardinals, who are still in the hunt for the NL Central title.

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