Diamondback Journal

One bad inning was all it took as the Diamondbacks lost to the Rockies 6-4 as they were swept four games to none in the NLCS.  With two men on and two outs, Owings gave up a double, Connon Jackson made an error, gave up another single, then a three run blast to turn what could have been a salvagable inning into the difference between winning and losing.

On the one hand, Owings couldn’t help the error but he could have stopped the damage by getting the next hitter out.  Still, only two of the six runs he gave up were earned and like the Tigers pitching last year, Connor Jackson will take some heat for making two errors in the series at first base.

Jackson did put the Diamondbacks on the board in the third inning with an RBI single.  Chris Snyder provided the rest of the offense with a three run homer in the eighth inning that turned a blowout into a relatively close game.

The nice thing is, the Diamondbacks head into the offseason without a ton of holes and it’ll be interesting to see how they improve.  I know making the final four isn’t consolation but it’s further then a lot of people thought the Diamondbacks would make it, especially without Randy Johnson.  I’m also interested to see whether the Rockies can keep this outstanding run going so I’ll be watching when the World Series kicks off next week.

The Diamondbacks have their backs against the wall as they lost game three last night and they now face the tough task of winning four straight games to advance to the World Series.  You have to feel for Livan Hernandez because he threw a nice game but made one mistake in his sixth inning of work.  He gave up a solo homer to Matt Holliday in the first inning but Mark Reynolds tied it up with a solo homer in the fourth.  Then in the sixth, Hernandez hung up a curve ball to Yorvit Torrealba and he took it deep with a three run shot.

Three relievers combined to hold the Rockies in three shutout innings but the Rockies pen was just as good as the Diamondbacks were stifled.  It’ll all be up to rookie starter Micah Owings tonight.  Franklin Morales gets the start for the Rockies.

Two losses and both at home.  Even worse, the big Rockies inning in extra frames came with three walks in the inning.  What an ugly way to lose and I’m to distraught to write it up. Sigh, the Diamondbacks now have to win at least one in Colorado for the series to come back home.  Maybe the day off will do them some good.

The Diamondbacks got off to a rough start as the hitters were held in check by the Rockies’ pitchers and the offense could manage just a single run.  Eric Byrnes double home Stephen Drew in the first inning to give the Diamondbacks their first and only lead of the game.  Just two innings later, Brandon Webb had been tagged for four runs and the game was essentially out of reach because some top notch Rockies’ pitching.

Byrnes was the only hitter with two hits.  Chris Young reached base twice with a pair of walks and Webb took the loss with the four runs in six innings.  Juan Cruz gave up an unearned run in the eighth inning but that proved to be just an add on.

Doug Davis will try to right the ship tonight.  I like the start time better.  I’ll be able to get home from work and catch the entire game.

The Diamondbacks did it in what was a much closer game then the score indicated yesterday.  From Chris Young’s lead off homer to Livan Hernandez’s outing the mound, things just seemed to click and the end result was a 5-1 win that finished up their sweep over the Phillies.

Chris Young got things going with a solo homer in the very first at bat of the game and from then on, the Diamondbacks never gave up the lead.  Later in the inning, Justin Upton singled home Stephen Drew and they made it 3-0 in the fourth when Eric Byrnes drove home a run on a ground out. 

In the meantime, Livan Hernandez got out of a few james.  He left two runners on in the first, two in the second, and two in the fifth. He was the beneficiary of three of the four double plays the Diamondbacks turned and that’s primary reason how he could give up ten baserunners (five walks and five hits) yet just give up a single run.  The pen also did a nice job and Tony Pena, Brandon Lyon and Jose Valverde each threw a scoreless frame.

Stephen Drew hit a solo homer in the sixth and Eric Byrnes went yard in the ninth with solo homers but those two runs were just gravy.  It seems a lot longer, but this is the first time the Diamondbacks have made it to the NLCS since they won the World Series in 2001.  Oddly, because of the sweep, the Diamondbacks and Rockies don’t play until Thursday.  The pitchers haven’t been announced but I find it hard to believe that it’ll be anyone other then Brandon Webb in that first game.

The Diamondbacks were down for the first time in this series in the second inning of last night’s game after Doug Davis was touched up for two runs.  That deficit was short lived though because the Diamondbacks stormed back in the bottom half of the frame with four runs of their own.  Chris Young put the Diamondbacks on the board in a big way with a three run blast and Eric Byrnes tripled home Stephen Drew in the inning.  After that, the Diamondbacks never looked back.

Young had just the one hit but he walked twice and finished with two runs.  Stephen Drew also had a solid day at the plate and he went two for five with two RBIs and a run.

Doug Davis was hardly awesome, but he was good enough to pick up the win.  He gave up four runs on five hits and four walks with eight strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.  Jose Valverde struck out the side in the ninth as he closed out the game.

The series shifts back to Chicago tomorrow and it’d be nice if the Diamondbacks could finish things up.  It’ll be Livan Hernandez against Rich Hill.

The Diamondbacks scored two late runs and they got a really nice start by Brandon Webb to take game one of their series over the Cubs.  Webb held to the Cubs to just a run on four hits in seven solid innings of work.  He walked three and struck out nine en route to the win.  Brandon Lyon and Jose Valverde closed out the game with a shutout inning a piece to finish off the Cubs.

Stephen Drew belted a solo homer in the fourth inning to put the the Diamondbacks on the board but it wasn’t until the seventh inning when the Diamondbacks scored their winning run.  Mark Reynolds belted a lead off solo homer to give the Diamondbacks the winning run while Connor Jackson drove home Chris Snyder with a sac. fly gave the Diamondbacks an insurance run.

Game two is tonight.  Doug Davis gets the start and he’ll go up against Ted Lilly.

Well, the 2007 regular season is in the books for the Diamondbacks and it’s hard to be disappointed.  If you would have told me Randy Johnson would miss most of the season, I would have said the Diamondbacks were smoke but they not only won the NL West, they had the best record in the National League so if they can take care of the Cubs beginning Wednesday, there should be plenty of action at Chase Field.

It’s hard to pick a hitting MVP because every played their part.  Chris Young belted 32 homers, but his OPS+ of 88 was hardly stellar.  Eric Byrnes, Conor Jackson and Orlando Hudson all had their hitting highlights and rookie Mark Reynolds made his impact as well.

Brandon Webb followed up his 2006 Cy Young season with a campaign that should give him some Cy Young votes this year but it’s funny that he wasn’t the most exciting pitcher in the second half. Despite going 8-8, that prize has to go to Micah Owings.  And the pen was nothing short of awesome.  From Jose Valverde to Juan Cruz on down, this pen got the job done and that should be huge in this short playoff series.

The time for Wednesday game hasn’t been announced, but the pitchers have.  It’ll be to aces with Brandon Webb going up against Carlos Zambrano.