So the D-backs have dropped out of a wild-card spot, for the first time in a while. They didn’t play yesterday, but the Phillies’ victory allowed them to sneak a half-game ahead of us. I think the last time that happened was after play on July 20th, when the team was part of the NL gridlock. Just one game covered five teams, separating 6th and 10th place in the standings. The Diamondbacks have played pretty well since then, going 13-9. The main problem is, the Padres have played even better, with
a 16-6 record that’s the best in the league. The bad news, as far as this particular series is concerned, is that the Braves have also been hot, with a 15-7 mark.
I do wonder whether the team was perhaps burned by rolling out the back of their rotation against the Rockies. Not that Mitch Bratt, in particular, pitched particularly badly, but it’s always a tightrope figuring out when you should play the weaker cards in your hand. For instance, presuming you and your opponent’s starters are equal in ability, you could “throw” the first game by pitching your #5 against their #1, but then have an edge in the next two games (your #1 vs their #2, and your #2 against their #3). I guess platoon tendencies are also something which could factor into these decision. Atlanta are 7th by OPS vs. RHP, but a few slots lower (10th) vs. LHP.
What would you regard as a decent result for these series against the Braves and Red Sox? Obviously, it’s on the road, and that makes things tougher. Both teams are also comfortably above .500, and we know how the team has struggled there. However, they’ve performed better of late: things like the Dodgers’ sweep definitely helped. They are now 24-31 against opponents at .500 or better, which is right in the middle, ranked 15th, and basically at MLB average (25-31). The bad news? [Yes, more!] The opponents this week are both top five. So what are you wanting to see from these six games? Here’s a poll, and as always, explain yourself in the comments.
