Tucson Sidewinders
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Diamondbacks Notes: August 14, 2008 (Late Edition)
* WASHED OUT -- Batting third and playing RF for the Sidewinders on Thursday evening, Justin Upton went 1-for-2 with a two-run, two-out single. Tucson had jumped to a 5-3 lead through three innings, but Mother Nature intervened and the game was suspended due to rain. The game will be made up on August 27, by which point Upton should be back with Diamondbacks. Officially, Upton is 5-for-12 with a double, an RBI and two strikeouts on his rehab assignment, although we at DBN will always wonder what might have been but for the stormy skies in Colorado Springs. Upton may have scuffled in May and June with the parent club, but AAA pitching has so far been no match for his powers. Weather permitting, the Sidewinders and Sky Sox will start fresh on Friday before our farmhands head back to the Old Pueblo.
* NICE SOUVENIR -- If anyone is curious, JUp is sporting No. 24 on his Sidewinders jersey. Since Justin will not be long for the minors and the AAA franchise plans to leave Tucson...
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Diamondbacks Notes: August 13, 2008
* DUNN DEBUTS -- Adam Dunn lived up to his reputation in his first game for Arizona. Batting fourth and playing RF, the Diamondbacks newly acquired slugger did (almost) everything expected of him.
In the top of the first, Dunn worked a full count, then struck out swinging at a Ubaldo Jimenez sinker that bounced in the dirt. Dunn followed up by taking a pair of called strikes to lead off the fourth, but rallied for a walk on four consecutive pitches, including another sinker that bounced in front of the plate for ball four.
His first Diamondbacks hit came as Dunn drove an 0-1 fastball to RF for a double in the fifth. He would have earned an RBI had Stephen Drew not been caught in a run-down at 3B as Conor Jackson reached by fielder's choice on the preceding play. Dunn took four straight Jorge de la Rosa fastballs for his second BB to start the seventh, but the bottom of the order left him stranded for the third time on the night.
Batting with a runner in scoring...
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Snakes Stake NL West Hopes on Dunn's Mighty Bat
Well, damn. Just when you thought the Diamondbacks had opted against a move for one of the big bats available on the trade market, they land the major league leader in home runs -- a week and a half past the trade deadline!
Kudos to Josh Byrnes and the front office crew for making the move to acquire Adam Dunn.
Arizona's offense, which surged after the All-Star Break, sputtered once again beginning with the July 31-August 3 series in Los Angeles. In splitting a four game set with their closest division rivals, the Diamondbacks scored a grand total of nine runs. They managed to exceed that pace in subsequent series against the woeful Pirates and Braves, but Arizona bats could not put enough runs on the board to avoid a 3-4 home stand.
The Dodgers, meanwhile, have added a formidable hitter in Manny Ramirez, whose scorching hot bat may yet carry them past Arizona in the NL West. The trade for Dunn is a direct answer to the challenge laid down by LA.
The fit is not ideal for...
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Lost Dog: Hudson Gone for Season, Maybe for Good
With the news that Orlando Hudson underwent surgery late Saturday night on his dislocated wrist, the Diamondbacks again find themselves missing their star 2B for the stretch run of the season. His is a critical loss during what Arizona hopes will be a second straight NL West championship campaign.
The club will still benefit from his leadership in the clubhouse, but the ODog's presence on the field cannot be easily replaced. He is an absolute witch with the leather, invaluable for a team whose leading pitcher is a groundball specialist. And while his modest power makes him an unlikely No. 3 hitter, Hudson played that role for the Diamondbacks. That a guy who has never surpassed 15 HR or 67 RBI in a season batted third in the order 97 times says a lot about Arizona's 2008 offense.
The Diamondbacks will be hard pressed to replace Hudson's glove or his .305 / .367 / .450 line. As they have no choice but to try, let's consider some of the options on the table.
Reports...
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