Series Preview: Diamondbacks v. Dodgers
*PREVIEW: ARI v. LAD - The first few weeks of the year are supposed to be a feeling-out period. Maybe that would be the case if the Diamondbacks (1-2) were facing inter-divisional opponents or had made wholesale changes to their lineup. But heading into a weekend series with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers (2-2), the 2009 season feels more like a continuation of 2008 than a fresh start.
The Snakes' biggest changes among regulars are the substitution of Felipe Lopez for Orlando Hudson (who missed much of the second half due to injury) and the departure of short-timer Adam Dunn. Otherwise, Arizona looks much the same in the field. Since modifications to the batting order are par for the course under Bob Melvin, it doesn't feel especially odd to see Lopez leading off or Justin Upton batting eighth. It's been awhile since we witnessed Chad Tracy at 3B or Eric Byrnes in the outfield, but those sights are not unfamiliar.
It's a similar story in Los Angeles. After the protracted drama of contract negotiations, the defending NL West champions agreed to a 2-year, $45M deal with Manny Ramirez. They also re-upped shortstop Rafael Furcal and third baseman Casey Blake. In fact, the only new face since the end of last season is very familiar to Arizona fans; our beloved Hudson has replaced Jeff Kent at 2B.
While neither team experienced much turn-over in the field or at the plate, real change is discernible on the mound. For Arizona, Jon Garland has taken over the rotation slot formerly held by Randy Johnson and the bullpen has also been reshuffled. Our sense is that the Snakes' pitching staff has slid back some on account of the changes, but we'll give Garland and the new relievers a chance before passing judgment.
For the Dodgers, however, the downgrade in pitching is unequivocal. Previous No. 1 starter Derek Lowe now anchors the Braves staff, while Brad Penny and Takashi Saito have joined the Red Sox. The latter two were injured much of the 2008 season, so their losses may not be felt acutely, but Lowe will be missed. Los Angeles brought back the injury-prone Randy Wolf and promoted prospect James McDonald from long-relief to take the starting turns once belonging to Lowe and Penny. No reliever comparable to Saito replenishes the bullpen, which will rely on the powerful arms of Jonathan Broxton and Hong-Chih Kuo to finish games.
* TILT! - In the words of Brandon Webb, Manny put up "video game" numbers after joining the Dodgers for their stretch run. Indeed, from the look of his 2008 stats for Los Angeles, one gets the sense that Ramirez was using a cheat code.
| PERIOD | G | AB | R | H | 2B | HR | RBI | BB | K | BA | OBP | SLG |
| Regular Season | 53 | 187 | 36 | 74 | 14 | 17 | 53 | 35 | 38 | .396 | .489 | .743 |
| Playoffs | 8 | 25 | 9 | 13 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 11 | 4 | .520 | .667 | 1.080 |
Although he played just one-third of their regular season games, Manny was easily the MVP of the Dodgers' 2008 campaign. In addition to his own numbers, Ramirez brought enthusiasm and swagger to his club. His arrival sparked their entire offense and kept Los Angeles loose as they pulled away from Arizona in the division.
Last week, Webb taunted the Dodgers a bit by declaring that Manny would be unable to repeat those numbers in 2009. Asked whether his words might serve as motivation for Ramirez, Webb replied: "Bring it."
Diamondbacks Nation loves that kinda moxie from its Ace. But even if regression to the mean argues for a come-down, Manny is a HOF-caliber player, capable to deliver awe-inspiring performances for prolonged periods of time. Like his out-sized personality and baggy-pajamas uniform, his impact on the weekend series and the NL West chase will be large. Not only will the Diamondbacks need to slow Manny's roll, they'll have to find a spark of their own in order to reclaim the division crown.
* WEBB WORRIES - While Diamondbacks Nation is eager for Manny to be proven a mortal, this weekend will not include any Webb-Ramirez match-ups. Shoulder soreness that troubled Webb in the spring resurfaced in his Opening Day start, costing him velocity on his pitches. Webb seemed upbeat after a bullpen session mid-week, but lingering stiffness led the Diamondbacks to scratch him from his scheduled start on Saturday. Swing-man Yusmeiro Petit will toe the rubber in Webb's place.
Arizona is hopeful to have its top hurler back next week, but there is cause for concern with the grim revelations that followed Webb's early exit on Monday. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that the Diamondbacks pulled their offer to extend Webb's contract last season after insurance companies expressed concern over the condition of his shoulder. Webb later confirmed that he paid an off-season visit to Dr. James Andrews (the surgeon whose name strikes fear in the hearts of sports fans everywhere) for a check-up.
Indications are that Andrews prescribed only a strengthening program and Webb remains positive in his own pronouncements, but we think everyone in Arizona will feel a lot better once the righty returns to the mound.
* MATCH-UP GAME - There are enough story lines in a Diamondbacks-Dodgers series to fill a book, but we'll highlight just a handful of key match-ups.
1. Garland v. McDonald. The newest additions to the Arizona and Los Angeles rotations will go head-to-head in the series opener on Friday night. Each of the right-handers is what you might call a "pitcher's pitcher," using command of his arsenal rather than overpowering stuff to get outs. In contrast to The Big Unit, his predecessor on Diamondbacks' staff, Garland is known more for durability than domination. McDonald had a nice strikeout rate in the minor leagues, but scouts don't see a wipe-out pitch likely to have the same effect against ML batters.
2. Lopez v. Hudson. Keystone play will be in the spotlight in this series. Hudson is well known for his Gold Glove-winning defense, while Lopez is rated among the poorer infield defenders in the ML. Maybe Lopez will be less taxed at second base than at shortstop (where he played for most of his career), but we've already seen a few miscues from him. In the Rockies series, Lopez failed to touch the bag for a force out and later shovelled a ball intended for Stephen Drew into the outfield. Early returns suggest that Lopez has more pop in his bat than does Hudson, whose home-road splits indicate his offense was largely a product of a friendly hitting environment at Chase Field. Even if that's the case, Hudson should feel at home away from home this weekend.
3. Diamondbacks Nation v. Dodgerfans. It's a short trip from Los Angeles to Phoenix. Many locals remain die-hards for the Dodgers. Blue and red provide a stark contrast. For a variety of reasons, the Dodgers supporters always turn out in big numbers in the Diamondbacks' home park. We have declared that the express purpose of Diamondbacks Nation is to make certain our Snakes have a home field advantage by showing up loud and proud at Chase Field. That is at no time more important than when Arizona plays its NL West rivals. Diamondbacks fans, your team needs you!
LET'S MAKE SOME NOISE, DIAMONDBACKS NATION!
1 responses to this Post, with 1 unique participants
Fez
04/11/09
11:12am
Great, but...
Great opening game, but: 1. It took the light rail forever to leave the station after the game; and 2. why didn't upton play?!?!?