Late Rally Falls Short, Diamondbacks Drop Series Finale To Padres, 7-6

Despite a late flurry of runs, the Arizona Diamondbacks fell short to the San Diego Padres, losing 7-6 to drop the series finale on Sunday afternoon. The loss snaps a four-game winning streak and is just the third for the team in the month of September.

Down 7-0 heading into the sixth inning, Arizona exploded for five runs to narrow the gap. Henry Blanco kicked things off with a homerun to deep left field. Chris Young and Colin Cowgill followed with two-run cracks off San Diego reliever Erik Hamren.

An inning later Justin Upton tacked on with a pinch-hit fielder's choice that scored Blanco. With two outs and Upton on second base, Paul Goldschmidt walked to the plate improbably representing the winning run. Though the comeback would fall just short, as Goldschmidt grounded out to end the inning.

San Diego chased Arizona starter Josh Collmenter early, capped by a Nick Hundley two-run homer to deep left field. It marked the first time since August 2nd that the young righthander failed to pitch five full innings. Collmenter lasted just four innings, giving up six runs, seven hits, and three walks in his ninth loss of the season.

The Diamondbacks took three of four from San Diego over the weekend home stand, pushing their NL West lead to 8.5 games. The team's magic number is down to eight.

Next up for Arizona (85-62) is a three-game divisional series at the Los Angeles Dodgers before heading to San Diego for another three-game set against the Padres. Veteran lefthander Joe Saunders (10-12, 3.88 ERA) opens the series against Los Angeles' Ted Lilly (9-13, 4.37 ERA). First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. PT/10:10 p.m. ET.

Arizona Diamondbacks Deliver Another Magical Performance, 6-5

If by now you don't believe in the magic of this baseball team there's probably no convincing you. Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy might not be real but there's no denying something extraordinary is going on with this 2011 Arizona Diamondbacks team.

On a day dedicated to honoring the heroics of the 2001 World Series team that came back on Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning to win it all, it was a member of that very team that came through with a game-tying home run off another great closer, Heath Bell and earned a game-winning RBI walk in the 10th inning.

Arizona was down 5-3 to the Padres going into the final frame. Starter Wade Miley gave up five runs and eight hits but to this team, it didn't matter. Chris Young, who is showing signs of life after an extended slump, lead off with a solo home run to make it 5-4. Lyle Overbay, who was honored along with his 2001 teammates before the game tied it with another blast to send it to extra innings.

The D-backs weren't able to seal the deal in the ninth but in the tenth, Justin Upton walked and then advanced to third on a single by Montero. An intentional walk to Blum brought up Chris Young with the bases loaded and one out. Young struck out which brought Lyle Overbay back to the plate with a chance to be the double hero. It wasn't quite as exciting as a big hit, but the RBI walkoff walk got it done.

Manager Kirk Gibson said that former team owner Jerry Colangelo pointed out the coincidence of Lyle Overbay being called up in September of 2001 and coming up as the hero in this game. And oh, by the way, Overbay had another RBI double earlier in the game giving him three on the night and three hits. Not bad for a guy who was released by the Pirates and sitting home doing nothing when the D-backs called.

"It was a really special night. It was awesome," Gibson said. "It was great to see all those guys. The ceremony was outstanding. I'd like to say the way we played tonight was very reflective of the way they played in 2001."

With the win, the D-backs hold a half-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers and are eight-and-a-half games up on the Giants in the NL West.

Are you are believer now?

For more on the Diamondbacks, visit AZ Snake Pit.

San Diego Padres Protest Outcome Of Loss To Diamondback, Claim Montero Didn't Touch Second

The San Diego Padres notified the umpires that they were filing a protest over the outcome of their 6-5, 10th inning loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. According to the Padres, Miguel Montero didn't touch second base after Lyly Overbay earned a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the 10th. 

Padres manager Bud Black is absolutely correct on the facts. Montero didn't touch third base and according to crew chief Tim Welke it doesn't matter. Welke cited baseball rule 4.09 (b) which happens to cover this exact bases loaded, game-winning walk situation:

Official Rules | MLB.com: Official info

(b) When the winning run is scored in the last half-inning of a regulation game, or in the last half of an extra inning, as the result of a base on balls, hit batter or any other play with the bases full which forces the runner on third to advance, the umpire shall not declare the game ended until the runner forced to advance from third has touched home base and the batter-runner has touched first base. 

"It's in the hands of major league baseball," said Black told the San Diego Tribune. 

It likely won't take long for MLB to laugh this one right out of their offices since the rule covers exactly what happened. Sorry Bud, we know it's been a rough season for your team but filing a protest after the umpire explains you the rule is just kind of silly.

Hudson And Kennedy Best One-Two Punch Since Randy Johnson And Curt Shilling, Wins Matter

On Saturday afternoon before the Arizona Diamondbacks took the field in their throwback purple uniforms worn to honor the 2011 World Series Championship team, manager Kirk Gibson was asked about the greatest one-two pitching duo he's ever seen in baseball. He didn't hesitate to name Randy Johnson and Curt Shilling. But then, unprompted, he went on to indulge in a rare moment of bragging. 

"You guys usually ask me everyday about the Cy Young Award and I was thinking last night, Hudson and Kennedy have 35 wins...Our one-two guys are pretty damn good," Gibson said.

The Philadelphia Phillies aces Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay have 33 wins.

Judging pitchers based on wins has fallen out of favor with many stat-driven, fantasy baseball playing fans. It certainly has flaws, especially when you get a really good pitcher on a team that can't generate any runs. 

But in this case when you are looking at the Phillies with the best record in baseball and the upstart Diamondbacks, it's hard to make excuses for the Philadelphia aces. Besides, Gibby argued, winning is all that matters.

"I don't think there's any more important stat, period, than wins. That's what we're here for. If you win, you've accomplished your task."

I don't think Gibson's point was to suggest that his aces are better than well known, more accomplished guys in Lee and Halladay. At the same time, he's understandably proud of his two young pitchers and when he talks about them it almost always comes back to how hard they compete and how hard they work on their off days to keep their bodies ready.

If people around the country aren't paying attention to the pitching in Arizona, that's just fine by Gibson, "Don't tell anybody. Seriously, it's great. It's great. Just keep talking about those other guys. Just let our guys just relax and pitch."

This is one cat that's on the verge of escaping from the bag. The pressure and attention on Gibby's team is about the ratchet up come October and come next spring, big things are going to be expected from the Diamondbacks. You can only fly under the radar so long. Once you start dropping bombs, people tend to notice.

Overbay Delivers, Hudson Deals In Yet Another Diamondbacks' Comeback Win

As if the Diamondbacks 2011 season isn't already evoking memories of that special 2001 campaign in the desert -- the one in which the D-backs won their lone World Series championship -- the local nine went all out Friday night. 

They donned one of their several 2001 uniforms, the white with pinstripes sleeveless jersey with matching pants and purple short sleeves underneath with purple caps. There was purple and teal everywhere, and even some of the music was circa 2001. 

And with all that purple and teal in the stands, the perfect man on the perfect night delivered at the perfect time. Lyle Overbay, the only guy on the player roster ever to have worn the former colors, ripped a two-out single off San Diego reliever (and former local whipping boy as a D-back) Chad Qualls in the bottom of the eighth inning, driving in the tie-breaking run in Arizona's 3-2 win over the lowly Padres Friday night at Chase Field.

It was too perfect, but it wasn't too good to be true. Overbay drove in Aaron Hill from third base, Daniel Hudson stranded a runner at third base in the top of the ninth to finish off a five-hit complete game and the Never-Say-Die-mondbacks won for the 14th straight time at home, a franchise record that tied the majors' best home win streak this season.

"I felt a little younger, I guess," the 34-year-old Overbay, who hadn't been a D-back since 2003 before returning to the club a month ago, said with a grin after the game.

Hudson (16-9) kept his team in the game despite trailing 2-0 before the bottom of the sixth. That's when Justin Upton hit a solo home run, his 30th of the season. The Diamondbacks tied if off Padres starter Mat Latos, who pitched an impressive seven innings, with Gerardo Parra's triple to score Chris Young in the bottom of the seventh.

Parra clawed at the air after sliding into third, getting those claws returned from the dugout by a host of teammates. Upton and Hudson talked about the comeback nonchalantly, since it has happened so often for the D-backs this season.

Thrown out twice earlier trying to score from third base on a fly ball out, the Diamondbacks kept forcing the Padres to make plays on throws. So it was no surprise when Hill reached third on Montero's hit in the eighth. 

Ryan Roberts struck out, but Overbay got the key hit, and it was 2001 all over again.

D-Backs, Kennedy Down Padres 4-1 To Cushion Division Lead Over Idle Giants

Ian Kennedy did it again, getting his 19th win of the season (fourth in a row), this time over the San Diego Padres, and leading the Arizona Diamondbacks to their 14th win in 16 games. Kennedy pitched 7.2 innings, allowing one run and striking out 11, setting a season-high. The National League Cy Young candidate seems well on his way to a 20-win season; he needs only one more with four starts to go.

Kennedy was looking good to pitch at least eight innings, if not a complete game, with 87 pitches through seven scoreless. But he did not last long in the eighth after giving up back-to-back singles to open the inning, one of which led to the Pads getting on the board. Brad Ziegler closed out the inning and J.J. Putz came in to get his 38th save of the season and his 17th in a row.

While the D-backs offense was not firing quite as effectively as it had been during their series against the Colorado Rockies, they managed enough. Justin Upton hit his 29th home run of the season – a solo shot in the sixth inning before he left the game "due to illness." Paul Goldschmidt added a homer of his own in the fourth. Kennedy, after being hit with his first pitch of the season, was able to score after a groundout by Aaron Hill and a throwing error by former D-back Orlando Hudson. Hill is now hitting .375 as a D-back and in the midst of a 10-game hitting streak. Miguel Montero continued his own 16-game streak, and added an RBI single in the seventh.

The victory puts Arizona 7.5 games over the idle San Francisco Giants in the National League West with 18 games to play.

Arizona Diamondbacks Open World Series Anniversary Home Stand, Padres Play Patsy

The Arizona Diamondbacks open a four-game series against the Padres. But really, the big fun is the 10-year anniversary events celebrating the 2011 World Series Championship team.