Hubris, my friends and fellow countrymen, is a dangerous thing. Just when we all were feeling mighty fine about the Arizona Diamondbacks and the team was getting national attention for taking over first place in the NL West and winning seven-straight...Karma comes calling. I don't need to remind you what else we call, Karma.
Now, it's time to see what's really up with this team as the level of competition comes back down to Diamondbacks-level and a four-game series with the Washington Nationals will provide the answers.
The Nationals (61-64) are no push-overs and we certainly can't forget the Bean Ball War that broke out in Phoenix the last time these two teams met on the field of battle. They are cocky bunch befitting the team that plays in our nation's capital and in many ways have adopted the dysfunction of the local culture.
Here's the order of battle for Bean Ball War II the up-coming series.
- Monday: Joe Saunders (8-10, 3.91) vs. Ross Detwiler (1-3, 2.87)
- Tuesday: Ian Kennedy (15-4, 3.22) vs. Jordan Zimmermann (8-10, 3.11)
- Wednesday: Daniel Hudson (12-9, 3.83) vs. Livan Hernandez (7-11, 4.11)
- Thursday: Wade Miley (0-1, 11.25) vs. John Lannan (8-9, 3.61)
All four games start at 4:05 p.m. Arizona time (7:05 p.m. ET) and will be broadcast on Fox Sports Arizona with live game threads at AZ Snake Pit.
And here's a bonus discussion with the great writers at the 'Pit examining the pressing issues of the D-backs day. Check it out.
SnakePit Round Table: Where Has The Offense Gone? - AZ Snake Pit
The last week didn't go well for the Arizona AtLeastTheGiantsLostBacks. However, they head for Washington still in first place, though need the htters to get their act together if that's to remain true. Offense, our play-off chances and Trevor Bauer are among the topics being chatted about by the SnakePit authors.