The Diamondbacks have been on fire since the All-Star Break, and have now opened up a two game lead on the defending World Champion Giants in the NL West. This week will play a huge part in determining the division winner, due to the schedules of both teams. The Giants play four in Atlanta before going to Houston for three to close out a ten game road trip. Arizona has three games with both Philadelphia and Atlanta, before heading to Washington for a four game set next week. The team’s schedules are virtual mirror images over the season’s final month, as each team exclusively plays the NL West aside from one series; the Giants get the Cubs, and the Diamondbacks get the Pirates, both at home. The teams will also play six games against one another. But despite their division-heavy schedules down the stretch, I firmly believe that the road trips each team are on starting tonight will play a huge role in their season.
Think about this: the Braves are probably going to win the NL wild card. The Phillies are going to have the best record in the NL. Thus, the teams couldn’t meet in the first round. One of the teams would be playing the NL West champion in the first round. If the season ended today, the Phillies would be playing the Diamondbacks. However, Arizona is only a couple of wins back of the Brewers in the overall record race, and if they were able to overtake Milwaukee, they’d play the Braves in the first round instead. So Arizona will be having a pair of possible playoff previews this week.
As for the Giants, it’s time to crap or get off the pot. Carlos Beltran was supposed to be the difference maker that pushed them over the edge. Instead, he’s got a .616 OPS in 11 games and has missed time with a hand injury, while the team is 5-11 since Beltran’s first game with the team on July 28th. They’ve lost six games in the standings to the Diamondbacks. In an attempt to rectify past mistakes and to help power the offense, the team called up Brandon Belt late last week, but it might be too little, too late. Orlando Cabrera, Cody Ross, Aaron Rowand, Eli Whiteside and Andres Torres (before going on the DL this weekend) have all struggled terribly this month, and the defending champs are starting to fade away. The pitching has been solid, with the exception of Jonathan Sanchez (nine runs in nine innings this month so far).
But for the Diamondbacks, everything has been roses lately. Despite some terrible starts from Jason Marquis (who will miss a good chunk of the rest of the season with a broken leg), Josh Collmenter, and Joe Saunders, the D-Backs offense has been clicking on all cylinders. Justin Upton has become a high-level MVP candidate with a strong month thusfar. Fill-ins Ryan Roberts and Willie Bloomquist continue their miraculously good seasons. Rookie Paul Goldschmidt is pounding the ball like he did in AA for most of the season. Arizona is succeeding despite a disappointing year from Kelly Johnson, and bad months so far from Miguel Montero and Chris Young. The Giants don’t have that superstar player who can carry an offense like Arizona does with Upton.
It’s going to be a hell of a race down the stretch, and it appears that it’s going to come down to each team’s strengths: San Francisco’s pitching versus Arizona’s hitting. The Diamondbacks have had the edge since the break. Will it continue over the season’s final six weeks?
