No game for Arizona today, so here's the usual "chat about anything you want" thread for the day. Heard any good trade rumors? Think we'll make a move before the deadline? Want to predict how we'll do against the Giants and Padres? Here are the matchups

Fri: Dan Haren, RHP (9-5, 2.58) vs Jonathan Sanchez, LHP (8-5, 4.10)
Sat: Brandon Webb, RHP (13-4, 3.11) vs Tim Lincecum, RHP (11-3, 2.79)
Sun: Randy Johnson, LHP (7-7, 4.89) vs Barry Zito, LHP (5-12, 5.56)

Mon: Yusmeiro Petit, RHP (1-1, 2.78) vs Greg Maddux, RHP (3-8, 4.18)
Tue: Doug Davis LHP (3-5, 4.22) vs. Clay Hensley, RHP (1-0, 0.00)
Wed: Dan Haren, RHP (9-5, 2.58) vs. Cha Seung Baek, RHP (2-5, 4.94)

In non-baseball related news, the American Idol people are holding auditions tomorrow in Phoenix. Reality TV: televisual treat, or instrument of Satan? Or buth? Even if you hate the genre, are there any reality shows you find a guilty pleasure?

Or, whatever...

Record: 50-51. Pace: 80-82. Change on last season: -3

I was going to start with an analysis of the fifth inning, and how the game was decided by the difference in the respective performances of the two teams there - the Cubs executed solid baseball fundamentals, and the Diamondbacks didn't. I'll still get to that in a little bit. But that didn't end up being the turning point of the game. Far more decisive was the wild mismanagement of our bullpen in the eighth inning by Bob Melvin, which allowed the Cubs to score six runs, and rendered the three-run homer by Snyder in the bottom half, almost an irrelevance.

The choice of Owings for the eighth was somewhat puzzling to begin with, since it was still a one-run game at that point, and we were still very much in this. Ok, most of our 'pen had been used the previous night, but what exactly was Melvin saving Peña and Lyon for? Tomorrow's non-existent game? I'd have gone with one of our more high-leverage - or, at least, more experienced relievers. Certainly, not a converted starter making his sixth career non-start appearance, and his first ever in the major-leagues on less than two days rest. Or, if I did, I'd be sure to have someone else warmed up and ready to go, in case of any issues.

Not Melvin. Nooooo... It was clear from the start that Owings did not have his good stuff, walking Theriot on five pitches. Derek Lee then just missed totally crushing a pitch, and a hit by Ramirez put men on second and third with one out. That was the point where the other, warmed-up, experienced reliever should have come in, to keep the game close. Or maybe after Soto's single? No. Walking Fukudome on four straight balls, to load the bases? Leave him out there. It was only after four additional consecutive pitches had missed the zone, walking in a run, that Melvin deemed it necessary to go get Owings. His final tally: four strikes, fourteen balls. Then Rosales serves up a grand-slam to the first hitter faced, and the Cubs had turned a one-run lead to seven, in the space of just twenty pitches, our Win Probability evaporating from 25.9% to 0.5%.

Let's go back to the fifth inning though, as promised. We came in with a 2-1 lead, thanks to a two-run homer from Tony Clark - his first hit in his sixth game back with us. A single and a ground-rule double put men on second and third for the Cubs with no outs. With the pitcher up, Melvin opted to play the infield in, a decision immediately criticized as "risky" by Mark Grace. Score one for our former first-baseman, as Lilly bounced what would have been a simple grounder to third over the despairing grab of Reynolds and into the outfield. A run-scoring ground-out gave the Cubs the lead, and then Lilly stole third, Doug Davis apparently forgetting entirely that he was there. Only three pitchers in the majors have stolen a base this year, and it paid off as another ground-out allowed Lilly to score, making it 4-2.

Compare and contrast the bottom half of the inning, which started in great fashion, with a walk by Ojeda, who took second as the ball skittered away from the catcher, and came home on a triple by Hudson. That gave us the tying run on third, with no outs: surely, at the very least, we'd take care of business and basically reset the game. No. Mark Reynolds struck out, then Chris Young grounded to third and Jackson, going on contact, was caught on a rundown and eventually tagged. Finally, Young [who ended up at second during the rundown] was caught trying to steal third with two outs, a pointless exercise since he'd have been able to score on basically any hit. Instead of being back in the game, we still trailed, and by the next time we got anyone on base, we were trailing 10-3.

Doug Davis was ok: he allowed four runs over seven innings, on five hits and two walks, striking out six. It was basically one bad inning which undid him. At the plate, Arizona reached double-figures in hits, the same as the Cubs. Chris Young had three hits, all of them for extra-bases, while Drew reached safely twice, with a hit and a walk. Chris Snyder and Tony Clark each had home-runs, the latter a three-run shot in the eighth, that gave us a brief, feeble glimmer of hope - we even got the tying run to the on-deck circle in the ninth, but the final at-bat of the series was not one Chad Tracy will want to remember. We'll get to the Diamondbacks' offensive star of the game in a moment though.

[Click to enlarge, in new window]
Master of his domain: Conor Jackson, +26.8%
God-emperor of suck: Micah Owings, -21.2%
Dishonorable mentions: Reynolds, -15.7%; Davis, -12.8%

Not quite the turnout in the Gameday Thread seen for the first two games, though there were only minor contributions from a few regular participants, for one reason or another. And, obviously, there was a great deal of streaming for the exits towards the end of this one, as I'm sure we all found better things to do! Present were soco, unnamedDBacksfan, DbacksSkins, Diamondhacks, kishi, emilylovesthedbacks, AJforAZ, Wimb, snakecharmer, dahlian, NewJackCity, utahdbacksfan, Muu, Zephon, srdmad, AF DBacks Fanatic, hotclaws, Scrbl, TwinnerA, mrssoco and foulpole.

Speaking of the last-named, I have to say, this Gameday Thread also gave us what may be the most ridiculous comment of all time. In the eighth, after a single to left, Jackson threw to third to try and get the runner there, an admittedly ill-advised decision which allowed the batter to advance to second. The recently-returned foulpole pounced: "Where was CJ throwing there? He has a baseball IQ of negative i." [Sic] Needless to say, no acknowledgment was given to the fact that Jackson has played only 25 games in the majors at left, or was only there because the Face of the Franchise rushed back from the DL and wrecked his hamstrings. Nor was a single peep of approval heard from foulpole during any of the five times Jackson reached base safely during the game, on three hits and two walks. Let me be blunt about this: foulpole, if you've come back to spout the same BS as before, you might as well go away again. Thank you.

I think we'd all have been happy to take two out of three from the Cubs if it had been offered to us before the series started, even if we still haven't managed to win three in a row during a span of 59 games since May 16. The offense continues to score more runs - 57 over the past ten contests, which is back to around the level of production we saw in April, even if the wins aren't quite coming yet. After an off-day tomorrow, the Diamondbacks hit the road against the Giants and Padres, and I am looking for Arizona to take two of three in both those series - already eagerly anticipating the marquee pitching match-up on Saturday, between Webb and Lincecum.

Random Off-Day Thread and Lolback of the Week to follow in the morning.

Ted Lilly LHP, 9-6, 4.49

Doug Davis LHP, 3-4, 4.14

Baseball-Reference.com preview [opens in new window]

Some things never lose their comedic appeal. The Parrot Sketch is as fresh now as it was thirty years ago; Who's on First? is still comedy gold. And does any baseball fan - well, any fan whose team has won a World Series in the past 99 years - ever tire of seeing this?

No matter what may happen in the rest of Lilly's career - and he has actually been pretty good against Arizona - he will forever be remembered as a petulant Little Leaguer, throwing a temper tantrum. Wah! Wah! It just never fails to amuse.

Snark aside, Lilly actually did pretty well facing us last time [when I am pretty sure we posted the same pic] - he allowed one run in seven innings of work, and got the win. Not much track record against him for most of the team - Burke and Clark are the only ones with more than six at-bats. Clark will, I assume, get the start at first since it's a left-handed pitcher, even if his OBP against Lilly is a poor .238 [5-for-21, with no walks]. The most recent of those was back in 2004, however.

Doug Davis goes for Arizona, and we need a much better showing than we got last time out, where he lasted only three innings, though escaped with a no decision. We need him to go back to giving us quality starts, though the task is likely going to be made more difficult, with the scheduled return of Alfonso Soriano, who is only hitting .377/.403/.787 against lefties this year. That will be an undeniable boost to an offense batting .212 with an OPS of .610 in the five games since the break. More of that would be fine: the series is already in the bag, and we have another chance to put together our best winning streak in more than two months. That would be "three."

If Al can call Chase "Bank Holding Company Field", then I think we need to come up with an alternative name for Wrigley. That's especially since the naming rights will likely soon be sold - and wouldn't it be funny if they were bought by a bank? So, how should we start referring to Wrigley?
  Futility Field
  The House That Bartman Built
  Wanna Buy The Team? Park
  Century of Suckitude Stadium.
  Where Pennant Hopes Go to Die
  This Space for Rent Field
  The Theater oif Screams
Anyone got any more? And I have little doubt Al and his members will be able to come up with some more of their own for Chase!

Getting this one up very early - the Dodgers-Rockies game is already under way, since we'll be following that here as well. Colorado are 5-3 up in the fifth, so we hope for that to continue. I was actually offered tickets to this evening's game, but had to decline - I really need to get caught up at home tonight! Should be about to comment though, and hang out in the SnakePit Chatroom too.

You've probably noticed the Top 50 moments in franchise history that Fox Sports AZ have been running during the Diamondbacks games of late. I just got the list of the top ten - the order will be selected by viewer vote, through the D-backs site, beginning August 1st and running through that month.

• D-backs named expansion team (March 9, 1995)
• First Regular Season game in Franchise History (March 31, 1998)
• D-backs clinch NL West with win over Giants (Sept. 24, 1999)
• Randy Johnson strikes out 20 vs. Reds (May 8, 2001)
• Tony Womack singles home Danny Bautista to win NLDS vs. Cardinals (Oct. 14, 2001)
• Tony Womack’s double to tie Game 7 in ninth inning vs. Yankees (Nov. 4, 2001)
• Luis Gonzalez singles to win World Series vs. Yankees (Nov. 4, 2001)
• Randy Johnson Perfect Game at Atlanta (May 18, 2004)
• Brandon Webb’s 42-inning scoreless streak (2007)
• D-backs clinch postseason with win over Colorado (Sept. 28, 2007)

Even the press release admits, "The number-one moment is undoubtedly a no-brainer," but how would you rank the others? And have they missed out any you'd think were worthy of mention?

Record: 50-50. Pace: 81-81. Change on last season: -2

That was, all told, a damn fine evening. Dinner, followed by two and a half hours exploring the surreal universe which springs from the mind of Eddie Izzard - he spent the first 30 minutes alone riffing on Phoenix and its Wikipedia entry, which he pulled up on his iPhone. The city is, of course, named after the mythical bird which came here, died in flames, and was resurrected - only to discover it was still actually on fire. Anyone who can slide seamlessly from giraffes to the noises made by tennis players inside five minutes is...someone who shares my mental wiring.

And then I come home to find out that the Dodgers lost (Kershaw got slapped about something awful) - and, more importantly, that the D-backs were doing their best Davey Crockett impression, and hunting bear at Chase. I did manage to catch a little bit of the game at dinner, as Yusmeiro Petit got Ramirez to fly out to the warning track, ending the third inning. It looked like the batter thought that one was out of here, as he trotted out of the box casually. Nothing better than seeing the shock on an opposing hitter's face as his home-run trot has to take a sharp right-turn towards his dugout. At that stage, we were only 1-0 up, thanks to Jackson's tenth homer of the year, so this was by no means over.

Jackson also scored our second run in the bottom of third, sliding home from second after a single by Reynolds. The Cubs got a run back in the next frame, after their #8 hitter tripled, but that was the only damage they managed off Petit, despite a few hard-hit balls and four free passes. Still, as far as spot-starts go, on less than 24 hours notice, we'll be more than happy with five innings of one-run ball, on three hits and with four strikeouts. Melvin after the game said that Petit may get another start, with Owings going full-time to the pen, presumably tiding us over until Max Scherzer is ready to return to the rotation. Said Petit, "This year I feel a little more comfortable. It's easier to make adjustments, and so far I've been feeling good about what I've done."

The game stayed close until the bottom of the seventh, when Hudson got his eighth homer of the year, a shot that made it a 5-1 game, after Drew scored on one of three Cubs wild pitches [they were also charged with three errors - so it is not just us!]. While the Cubs pulled one back immediately, Arizona poured it on in the eighth. They sent ten men to the plate on four hits and three walks, with the key blow a two-run double by Clark - after the Cubs had intentionally loaded the bases by giving Drew a free pass, in order to get to Jackson. CoJack continues to be on fire, with three hits and three RBI this evening: Drew, Hudson, Tracy and Reynolds all reached safely twice with a hit and a walk. We had five walks and only four strikeouts, a good ratio

After Petit left the game, he was followed by Rosales, Qualls, Peña and Rauch, with the only tally a solo HR off Peña. Rauch was one of two debuts for the Diamondbacks in tonight's game, and both proved to be successful. Jon Rauch, acquired from the Nationals in exchange for Emilio Bonifacio, pitched a scoreless ninth inning, though by that point, it was no longer a save situation, thanks to the four we scored in the eighth. He struck out the first two batters he faced, and though a single and wild pitch followed, he got Fukudome to ground out, clinching the game. connor Robertson was sent down to Tucson to make room for Rauch in the pen, and the departure of Bonifacio meant Jamie D'Antona made his debut, pinch-hitting for Qualls in the seventh. He promptly singled to left-field, in his first ever major-league at-bat. Here's to many more.

The chance for that might come sooner rather than later, thanks to a scary moment in the eighth, as our hottest hitter this month, Hudson, was hit on the ankle by Hart, dropping O-Dawg like a sack of potatoes. The fortunate thing is, there appears to be no permanent damage, with X-rays proving negative. I wouldn't be surprised to see him sitting out tomorrow, so he'll have a couple of days to rest thanks to the off-day on Thursday. Much discussion at BCB at to whether someone - possibly Micah 'Up & In' Owings, second in the majors for hit batters - will exact retribution tomorrow at some point. Romero was also plunked earlier in the game, though as noted, given the general wildness of the Cubs' pitchers, maybe they just sucked. :-) Sweeping them out of Arizona would, however, be far sweeter than engaging in pseudo-macho nonsense, much as I really want to see Chris Snyder in a brawl some day!

[Click to enlarge, in new window]
Master of his domain: Yusmeiro Petit, +18.0%
God-Emperor of suck: Miguel Montero, -6.1%

Very busy Gameday Thread(s), with over 900 comments, even with the Chat Room operating [how did that go? I popped in when I came home, but there was just Emily and Phil left at that stage]. Present in the "formal" thread were DbacksSkins, soco, Scrbl, snakecharmer, Zephon, mrssoco, emilylovesthedbacks, TwinnerA, 4 Corners Fan, foulpole, AF DBacks Fanatic, Muu, kishi, hotclaws, DiamondbacksWIn, dahlian, AJforAZ and unnamedDBacksfan.

These have been a pair of very impressive performances, shutting down the most productive offense in the National League to only two runs in eighteen innings - games started by our #4 pitcher and a spot-replacement, to boot. Now, let's go for the jugular tomorrow and finish off the reeling and demoralized Cubs: they swept us at Wrigley earlier in the season, so turnabout will be very fair play.

Jason Marquis RHP, 6-5, 4.44

Yusmeiro Petit RHP, 0-1, 3.06

Baseball-Reference.com preview [opens in new window]

Huge win yesterday, as our number four starter shut out the Cubs, and combined with a converted starter and previously-wobbly reliever on a two-hitter. As measured by Game Score, Johnson's six innings of one-hit ball against Colorado, back in May 2007 passed it during his second term here. Curiously, over the four games since the All-Star break, we appear to have slid through a black hole and entered Bizarro World: we lose when we score four runs or more, and win only if we score three runs or less.

Today. we send the Petit Unit to the mound instead, with the decision that he will be replacing Micah Owings for today's start. Pwnings pitched yesterday in relief - though it seemed odd to burn him there [even pinch-hitting for him with Tony Clark] for one inning of work. One wonders if this is intended to be a semi-permanent move: Petit's only previous start also came as a spot one, in place of Owings, and he pitched very well, allowing one run in six innings against the Brewers.

Marquis is pitching on very long rest again - it's been eleven days since his last appearance, which came ten days after the one preceding that. It didn't seem to affect him last time, as he pitched seven shutout innings against the Giants. He faced us twice in 2007, getting one win and one loss, though the only D-backs with 10+ PA's against him haven't done too well. Tracy is 1-for-14, Hudson 1-for-10 and Burke 5-for-28. Chris Young, however, is 3-for-6 with three homers.

Somewhat prodded by the monumental off-topicness of recent Gameday Threads, we have introduced the SnakePit Chatroom, [no password needed] which will be running in parallel with the Thread. The aim it to offer a more "random" forum for the chit-chat, but it is not intended to divert people from the threads here [and if that ends up happening, we'll pursue another route]. There won't be any particularly  enforcement, but threads that drift too far from the game will be gently shepherded towards the chat room, where they can continue unfettered.

'Skins and 'Charmer will be about tonight, so hit them up with any questions. I won't be here, as we are off to see Eddie Izzard at the Orpheum Theater. I will therefore be relying on the thread for insightful commentary, beyond the box-score, which I can steal incorporate into the postgame recap. Let's hope Petit can be as effective as Johnson, and we can proceed to take the series, setting up a potential sweep tomorrow. That would be very nice.

I got a couple of press releases today, announcing contests that might be of interest to folk here. Firstly:

See's Candies is providing one lucky Diamondbacks fan the chance to throw out the first pitch at a game this summer! Starting this Friday, July 25, through Aug. 23, fans can visit the local See's Candies to fill out a sweepstakes entry form for a chance to win. One lucky winner in each city will be selected on August 26, and will receive four tickets to the game vs. St. Louis on September 2nd.  where they’ll be escorted onto the field to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. No purchase necessary.

Hey,  if you put on a good performance, you could find yourself in the bullpen by the end of the night. It goes on to say,  "Also available, for a limited time, is the See’s Summer Variety Box (1 lb. for $15.00) that includes Key Lime Truffle, Apple Pie Truffle, Cashew Brittle and more. This summer assortment will be a home run for summer hostess gifts or the ultimate sweet treat for tailgate parties." I can only presume this is intended for cooler climes than Phoenix: here, you would rapidly end up with a one-pound Variety Box of Key Lime, Apple Pie and Cashew flavored, sticky soup... :-) Chocolate and Arizona summers - not good for each other...

Also on the competition front, MLB.com is looking for a fan to guest host their The Dish program. Might be nice to get a Diamondbacks supporter on there - though I have a feeling we are probably relative long-shots, and it'll end up being a fan of the usual suspects, either the Evil Empire or the New England Yankees. Still, if you don't enter, you can't complain. Here is the info.

Record: 49-50. Pace: 80-82. Change on last season: -2.

While there was no wi-fi access for me tonight, I did have the laptop, and so was able to scribble down a few notes while watching the game: I could just about see the game, but there was no audio, so any insights are entirely based on what I coukd see. Here's the game as I saw it.

1st inning. Arrive at the Grand Tavern just in time to see the D-backs go down in order, with little fuss. Drew strikes out, then Jackson swings at the first pitch he sees. Hudson has a bit of a better at-bat, but the net result is an easy fly-ball to the outfield.

2nd inning. Johnson is looking pretty good. His slider is moving very nicely, and his mechanics look pretty good. Radar is showing low-90's for his pitches, right where we'd hope. He retires the Cubs in order, getting a nice strikeout looking to end the inning. The Chicago hitter seemed less than impressed, and the pitch did look a bit inside. Arizona's turn starts with Tracy lifting the ball to the outfield, and he is followed by Reynolds, who does take a couple of pitches, to get ahead at 2-1, before going down swinging at a pitch around his ankles. Young goes one further, working the count full before he takes strike three at the bottom of the zone.

3rd inning. Harden looks as advertised - without wishing him ill, I hope we don't have to face him again this season. Bottom of the order up for Chicago. Edmonds becomes the first base-runner with a blooped single back up the middle. Cedeno goes after the first pitch and sends it deep to center, but Young tracks it down at the warning track. Harden's first two bunts yell "AL pitcher!" but he gets the third one down, advancing the runner. Theriot also goes after the first pitch, and the result is the same: Young makes the third out in deep center. Snyder is carved up by Harden, with some ugly swings; Romero pops up weakly on the infield; Johnson probably has the best at-bat, running the count full without taking the bat off his shoulder, then foul tips one to end the inning.

4th inning. Another Cubs base-runner, Johnson on a swinging bunt that trickles about 30 feet, leaving Reynolds without a chance. However, Lee pops out to shallow right, Ramirez K's, and Soto pops out to end the threat. Be nice if we could get our leadoff man aboard... Drew, however, strikes out, and Harden remains perfect through four innings. If only I could post in the Gameday Thread about now: I would be readying the pics of St. Penelope. On the other hand, Johnson hasn't exactly given up hard hits, just a bloop and a swinging bunt.

5th inning. That said, Young is being kept busy, running down another ball in center-field, . Phew. I miss the rest of the inning, as our comics and the host are arriving, so get distracted by discussing the merits of The Dark Knight. However, I get back to the game just in time to see Chad Tracy take a walk. Score one for St. Penelope, even in hypothetical form. Now, can we make it count? Mark Reynolds can't, going down swinging at something 96 mph-shaped. Something really wild from Harden moves Tracy into scoring position, but Young pops out and Snyder is also retired, to end our first threat. We're still being no hit through five. Time for some more St. Penelope pics?

6th inning. Looks that the first run will go to the winning team: okay, that's true most of the time anyway, but all the more so as the zeros stack up. Johnson strikes out Harden to open the sixth, and another fine catch by Young gets the second out. The next batter does reach, and Snyder is out to talk to Johnson. The Unit looks a bit gassed, and with his spot up in the bottom half, I wonder if he's done. But he gets out of the inning. Now, let's get some ru...well, can we start with hits, and work up to the complex stuff?

Romero decides to combine the two, breaking up the no-hitter with the first homer of his major-league career: while it will doubtless be classified by HitTracker as a "Just Enough", it looks might good on the scoreboard. Johnson is batting for himself, so seems he'll be going out for another frame. He actually gets decent wood on the ball, flying out to fairly-deep center. Drew puts the ball in play - first time today - but is still retired. and Jackson goes down swinging. We have one hit. Two base-runners. And the lead. Now, can we keep it?

7th inning. Wish I knew what Johnson's pitch-count was at. That would make me feel a bit more comfortable. Another deep fly, this time to the warning-track in left. Phew. Eight outs to get. I'm beginning to think about who'll pitch the last two innings. Tracy makes a nice catch in foul territory for the second out. I am almost certain that we won't see Lyon in the ninth: I presume it will be Pena. But who'll be up in the eighth? A 1-2-3 inning for Randy. Maybe they'll send him out there again? Wish I knew what Johnson's pitch-count was at... I'd also feel better if we can add on a run or two. If Romero can hit the ball out of the park, then anyone can. Doesn't happen in our half, despite a two-out walk to Reynolds. I think Harden is done.

8th inning. Johnson has gone, his unbeaten record against the Cubs secure. Interestingly, we bring in Micah Owings to relieve the Big Unit. It all gets a little confusing at this point: I am trying to listen to a comedian friend who just got out of jail, and is having a big welcome home party on Saturday. However, over his shoulder I see Owings get a big double-play to end the eighth. I am perhaps more excited by that than the party. Three outs to get. Bottom of the inning. Leadoff walk to Snyder. Tony Clark pinch-hits and is now 0-for-6 since joining the team. Still, Drew delivers a clutch two-out triple to make it 2-0 before the end of the eighth. Is that Chad Qualls warming in the bullpen?

9th inning. Deep breath. Three outs. Qualls is in. We so need to hold on to this one, after the disaster which was Sunday. Qualls, however, walks the leadoff hitter to bring the tying run to the plate. Then Tracy drops a potential double-play ball, and everyone is safe. Tying run on base. Still no-one out. I have a massive, impending sense of doom. But Qualls gets the next batter to hit another ground-ball, and this one gets executed impeccably. Two out, the tying run no longer on base. Two pitches later, a soft grounder ends the game, and Arizona has beaten the Cubs for the first time this year, giving Rich Harden his first loss in blue. Halle-bloody-lujah, and I am saved from having to wear a Cubs cap on Thursday.

[Click graph to enlarge, in new window]
Master of his domain: Randy Johnson, +46.1%
Honorable mentions: Owings, +12.4%; Romero,+12.4%
God-emperor of suck: Conor Jackson, -6.0%

We drove past Chase after work tonight, and saw all the Cubs fans heading towards the park: very happy to send them home disappointed! In what is probably his last regular-season outing against the Cubs, Johnson ran his career record against them to 13-0, with an ERA of 1.84. I know the W-L record is the best among any active pitchers with ten starts against one team: I wonder where that ERA ranks. It's also the first time ever Arizona has won a game on two hits: we'd won six times on three hits, most recently in May 2005 against the Nationals. Credit some very solid defense, with Young a gurgling vortex - in a good way - in center, sucking up everything hit to him.

Monstrous thread, testing the technological boundaries of SB Nation v2.0: 845 comments in one thread? Some of them were even actually about the game, though I had a lot of skimming over the irrelevancies to do once I got home... Focus, people! :-) Thanks to those who took part: mikeb, kennythered (welcome!), soco, DbacksSkins, kishi, Zephon, TwinnerA, mrssoco, snakecharmer, AF DBacks Fanatic, AZWILDCATS, unnamedDBacksfan, DiamondbacksWIn, singaporedbacksfan, NewJackCity, dstorm, emilylovesthedbacks, friendly visiting fan JoeCoolMan24, njjohn, Scrbl, srdmad, seton hall snake pit and 4 Corners Fan

Elsewhere, the Rockies and Dodgers got together for a 26-run game of pinball at Coors, with the Dodgers coming out on top to stay level with Arizona. And Jose Valverde out-Lyoned Lyon, allowing six earned runs in one-third of an inning of work for Houston, as they coughed up a late lead. His ERA is now 4.86: with Qualls getting the save for us, that trade is now looking nowhere near as bad as it was 24 hours ago!

Tomorrow brings the Petit Unit to the mound, replacing Owings, who appears to have been slid into the bullpen: I am wondering if this is going to be a permanent move? And is Petit just a place-holder until Scherzer gets his arm strength up to 100% and can rejoin the rotation? It promises to be an interesting encounter: I will not be about at all for that one, so as noted, if anyone wants to take over recap duties, please let me know...

Rich Harden RHP, 5-1, 2.19

Randy Johnson LHP, 6-7, 5.23

Baseball-Reference.com preview [opens in new window]

There's a point at which the Diamondbacks need to say "Wait until next year!" It seems to me that we are teetering precariously close to that moment. Not so much because of our record, but because of the way we're playing, and specifically, our offense which is basically dead in the water right now. In the past six games, we've scored only ten runs - 30% of those coming on one swing from Mark Reynolds, and are batting just .177. Hell, crank it back to cover the 22 games we've played since June 25: barely three runs per game and .226. That's why we're 6-16 in that time. So, today's discussion (and associated poll): is the season over?

One year ago today, I wrote the words above, as a discouraging loss sunk the Diamondbacks record to only 50-48. While a couple above this year's mark, the team were, in many ways, worse off, since they were 4.5 games back in the division at that point - Baseball Prospectus gave us only a 2.3% chance of making the playoffs. Oddly, extending the simlarities, the defeat came after the villain yesterday, Brandon Lyon, allowed three runs in a game for the first time in over a year, in a contest that was also started by Webb.

However, the team chose the following day to begin a streak of eight consecutive wins, which propelled Arizona into a lead that they never relinquished, as they went 40-24 the rest of the way. And who did that streak start against? The Chicago Cubs, whom we face again today. This is both encouraging and discouraging. It's clear that the season is still very much up for grabs. But do you feel there is a realistic chance of us posting a .625 win percentage the rest of the way? Don't all rush.

So, the Cubs come to town - with all that means. Having gone to all three games against them at Chase last year, I am taking a sabbatical, having had more than my fill over that weekend. [While I know from personal experience that Cubs supporters include some of the most articulate and well-informed baseball fans out there... those aren't the ones who showed up at Chase. Let's say no more than that] It's going to be a battle of the back-ends as far as the rotation goes - today at least, the advantage definitely appears to be with Chicago.

Harden was very solid in his first outing for the Cubs, going 5.1 scoreless innings, and striking out ten - it did take him almost 100 pitches to get that far. In contrast, Johnson has been through a rough patch, though has won back-to-back starts for the first time since May 18 - albeit mostly thanks to an eight-run inning posted in support of him against the Phillies. However, Johnson has never lost to the Cubs, going 12-0 with a 1.98 ERA in 13 starts: Of course, the last time he faced them was back in April 2004, and it's safe to say he is not quite the same pitcher he was then. Still... 13-0 looks so much better...

I'm having a bet with my lead here at work, who is a Cubs fan: if the D-backs sweep the Cubs, he has to wear an AZ cap for a day, or the other way around. If I'm not really very optimistic that he will be seen wearing Diamondbacks headgear on Thursday, I will be more than happy if we can somehow find a way to take two out of three. We have comedy tonight, so won't be able to take part in the thread; will hopefully be able to see it at the Grand Tavern, where we are comedy-ing. The post-game recap will therefore be a) late, and b) brief - and, indeed it will be tomorrow, since we're going to see Eddie Izzard. Therefore, if anyone fancies recapping either game, let me know, or work it out yourselves in the comments.