Last night’s six inning performance by Dan Haren raises cause for concern.

Haren gave up 5 earned runs on 9 hits and was handed the loss. Home runs by Bengie Molina and Jose Castillo accounted for 4 of the 5 runs given up by Haren.

The loss is his third in his last four starts and moves his record to 5-4 overall.

His decline doesn’t seem to have to do with the quality or command of his pitches. He has recorded 24 strikeouts to only 3 walks during his last four starts.

The issue seems to be his pitch placement. During his first 7 games he only gave up 35 hits, 3 of which were home runs. Over the last 4 games he has allowed 28 hits and 4 home runs.

While Haren’s slump has encompassed four starts, his last two are the most concerning. Over the two game span, 12.1 innings, he is 0-2 with a 6.57 ERA surrendering 17 hits. Compare that to his first seven games, 43.1 innings, where he went 4-1 with a 3.12 ERA.

Worst Loss In Tucson History

Baseball has been in the Old Pueblo for 39 years and has seen a lot. What it hadn’t seen was a 21 run loss, that was, until last night.

The Tucson Sidewinders exceedingly bad season got even worse last night. Tucson lost 23-2 to the Las Vegas 51s (I’m not sure what a 51 is either but it may be the total number of runs the Tucson pitching staff surrenders during this series).

The Sidewinders pitching staff gave up 21 of the 23 runs and 18 hits of the 25 hits in the first five innings.

Starter Juan Gutierrez lasted 2.2 innings allowing 10 hits and 11 runs, 10 earned.

The only pitcher not to allow a run? The catcher Matt Morgan who came in in relief to do his best Mark Grace impersonation.

Does It Really Matter If Eric Byrnes Doesn’t Want To Be On The DL?

Reading through Eric Byrnes’ quotes from yesterday it became very apparent that he was not pleased by the decision to place him on the 15-day disabled list.

“If this were going to happen, I wish it would’ve happened before I went 7 for 70,” Byrnes said. “Look, they made the decision. It wasn’t up to me. I totally understand that. They had to do what they felt was best for the team. I think, ultimately, it will help me as well.”

The question is does it really matter?

Byrnes has done more to hurt the team this year than to help them. He’s lacked the energy and speed that has made him a fan favorite.

From April 20 to May 26 Byrnes hit .159 going 18-for-113 with an OBP of .208.

The stats speak for themselves and prove that Josh Byrnes, Bob Melvin and the Diamondbacks training staff made the right decision. Enjoy your two weeks off Eric. They are well needed.

Tonight's Matchup:

Diamondbacks (30-22) VS. Giants (21-31)
6:40 PM, Chase Field
TV: FSNAZ
Radio: 620 AM KTAR

On The Mound:
SFO: Jonathan Sanchez (2-3, 4.39 ERA)
ARI: Doug Davis (2-1, 2.70 ERA)

Quick Hits:

• Bengie Molina is 20-for-35 (.571) with two homer runs and 14 RBIs through his last nine games
• Start Jonathan Sanchez has a 2.74 ERA against NL West opponents (4 games) this season.
• Eric Byrnes trip to the DL is the first of his career.
• Doug Davis is 3-4 with a 4.65 ERA in 11 career games against the Giants

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