Don't let the final score fool you. The Arizona Diamondbacks didn't lose this crucial home game against their division rival Los Angeles Dodgers because they couldn't pitch. They lost because they couldn't produce any kind of offensive pressure. Until Justin Upton starts playing like a star again, the rest of the order will continue to play below their potential.
The Diamondbacks got pummeled, 6-1, and with each loss seem to losing more and more of their fight.
The D-backs didn't get their first hit off Chris Capuano until the fourth inning when Willie Bloomquist led off with a triple and was driven home by a John McDonald base hit. Those two hits were one-third of the team's total (6) for the game.
That's not going to get it done.
The pitching staff did their part with young Patrick Corbin allowing just two runs and five hits in his 5.1 innings. Craig Breslow gave up a third run and then Bryan Shaw got tagged for three in the eighth by a confident Dodger team.
There was a time when confident Diamondbacks hitters would knock in runs off good relievers, but right now confidence is in short supply with the team's best player doing almost nothing on a nightly basis.
Making the team's problems even worse, catcher Miguel Montero was lifted in the sixth inning with what's been reported as a mild groin strain suffered trying to track down a foul ball behind the plate.
Next up will be Trevor Cahill (2-4, 4.01) against Aaron Harang (3-2, 3.83). Maybe the D-backs bats will have better luck, because at this point that seems to be what they are waiting for.
The D-backs are now 10 1/2 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West race.
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