SB Nation Arizona - Allen Drives In All Three, But Diamondbacks Lose To Padres 4-3https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46593/arizona-fave.png2011-07-28T16:41:37-07:00http://arizona.sbnation.com/rss/stream/20596172011-07-28T16:41:37-07:002011-07-28T16:41:37-07:00Diamondbacks Fall 4-3 To Padres, Win Series
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<p>For the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Arizona Diamondbacks</a> to stay in contention for the NL West crown, wins are everything. But winning as many series as possible will certainly help. </p>
<p>To that end, the Diamondbacks fell 4-3 to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.gaslampball.com/">San Diego Padres</a> Thursday afternoon at Petco Park, but left San Diego with a series win and will now look to accomplish the same at Los Angeles starting Friday.</p>
<p>Arizona (57-48) led 2-0 and 3-2, but the Padres, the cellar dwellers in the division, rallied for two runs off starter <span>Daniel Hudson</span> in the sixth inning and made it stand behind another strong showing from bullpen stalwarts <span>Luke Gregerson</span>, <span>Mike Adams</span> and closer <span>Heath Bell</span>.</p>
<p><span>Brandon Allen</span> entered the game hitting .125, but his two-run homer in the second inning off Padres starter <span>Mat Latos</span> gave Arizona a 2-0 lead</p>
<p><span>Jesus Guzman</span>'s two RBI for San Diego tied it until the sixth, when Latos walked Allen with the bases loaded to give the D-backs a 3-2 lead. Enter Gregerson, who retired <span>Cody Ransom</span> and <span>Ryan Roberts</span> with the bases loaded to end the rally.</p>
<p>Former D-back <span>Orlando Hudson</span> knocked in Guzman with a two-out single to tie the score in the bottom of the sixth, and after Hudson hit <span>Kyle Blanks</span> with a pitch, <span>Luis Martinez</span> singled in Hudson to give the Padres the lead. </p>
<p>Daniel Hudson (10-7) pitched six innings and allowed four runs on seven hits. He struck out six and walked two in the loss.</p>
<p>Bell, who could be on his way out before the MLB trade deadline, notched his 30th save and ended the game inducing <span>Sean Burroughs</span> to hit into a double play.</p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/arizona-diamondbacks/2011/7/28/2301592/diamondbacks-fall-4-3-to-padres-win-seriesJose Romero2011-07-27T22:17:54-07:002011-07-27T22:17:54-07:00Upton Stays Hot, Helps Down Padres And Keep Win Streak Alive
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Arizona Diamondbacks</a> escaped with a narrow 4-3 win over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.gaslampball.com/">San Diego Padres</a> on Wednesday evening, a night in which ace <span>Ian Kennedy</span> started strong but eventually gave up two runs in his six innings. He eventually got his twelfth win, helped by nine strikeouts. The win was his fourth in a row, matching the team’s current win streak.</p>
<p>But the D-backs had another hero — the same one they’ve had throughout their streak. <span>Justin Upton</span>’s hitting lately has been ridiculous. In Wednesday night’s game, Upton added two home runs, including a missile into the third deck at Petco Park, and brought his average up to .303. He has had a hit in each of his last eight games, hitting 17-for-30 during the span.</p>
<p><span>Xavier Nady</span> added a two-run homer in the seventh inning to round out Arizona’s offense.</p>
<p>Closer <span>J.J. Putz</span>, in his first real action since coming off the Disabled List after missing 20 games, got the save with relatively little drama.</p>
<p>The D-backs have won eight of 12 games since the All-Star Break and are now 10 games over .500 for the first time this season, but have been unable to gain any ground in the National League West, thanks to the continued stellar play of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">San Francisco Giants</a>, who beat <span>Cole Hamels</span> and the NL-leading <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Philadelphia Phillies</a> earlier on Wednesday. The Giants maintain a three-game lead in the division.</p>
<p>For more coverage of the Arizona Diamondbacks, head over to SB Nation’s D-backs blog, <a href="http://www.azsnakepit.com" target="new">AZ Snake Pit</a>.</p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/arizona-diamondbacks/2011/7/27/2299648/arizona-diamondbacks-vs-san-diego-padres-justin-upton-ian-kennedyJustin Burning2011-07-27T21:50:07-07:002011-07-27T21:50:07-07:00Justin Upton's Home Run Reaches 3rd Deck at Petco (Video)
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<p><span>Justin Upton</span>, hitting his second home run of the night, blasted this one into the third balcony of the Western Metal and Supply Company building hanging far above the left field fence at Petco Park in San Diego. They called it a 433 foot shot but certainly looked like more. </p>
<p>Check out the <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=17372231&topic_id=10025018&c_id=mlb&tcid=vpp_copy_17372231&v=3" target="_blank">video via MLB.com</a>:</p>
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https://arizona.sbnation.com/arizona-diamondbacks/2011/7/27/2299613/justin-upton-home-run-reaches-3rd-deck-at-petco-videoSeth Pollack2011-07-26T21:33:43-07:002011-07-26T21:33:43-07:00Upton, Johnson Lead Diamondbacks To 6-1 Victory Over Padres
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<p><span style="line-height: 16px;"> </span></p>
<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Arizona Diamondbacks</a> secured a 6-1 victory over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.gaslampball.com/">San Diego Padres</a> on Tuesday night to pull within three games of the NL West lead.</p>
<p>The Diamondbacks jumped out to a lead early and only increased it as the night progressed. A triple by <span>Kelly Johnson</span> in the top of the second brought <span>Willie Bloomquist</span> home. A sacrifice fly by <span>Justin Upton</span> later on in the inning brought Johnson in and gave the Diamondbacks a 2-0 lead by the end of the second.</p>
<p>Upton kept up his recent hot streak, hitting a home run in the sixth inning to open up a 3-0 lead. The Diamondbacks would score thrice more, once later in the inning on a <span>Ryan Roberts</span>' pop fly, once in the following inning on a Johnson single and once on a walk in the ninth inning. The Padres did score once in the bottom of the ninth, but by then the outcome of the game had been decided.</p>
<p>Joe Saunders (7-8) pitched well, allowing just six hits with one walk and four strikeouts in eight innings. He got his first win in three starts after loses to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/">Milwaukee Brewers</a> and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Los Angeles Dodgers</a>.</p>
<p>The Diamondbacks moved to 56-47 on the season and are now three games back of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">San Francisco Giants</a> in the NL West after the Giants lost to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Phillies</a>. </p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/arizona-diamondbacks/2011/7/26/2296714/upton-johnson-lead-diamondbacks-to-6-1-victory-over-padresNikil Selvam2011-07-26T13:30:59-07:002011-07-26T13:30:59-07:00Arizona Diamondbacks Continue Divisional Tour With Three-Game Series In San Diego
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Arizona Diamondbacks</a> (55-47) continue their divisional tour with a three-game series against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.gaslampball.com/">San Diego Padres</a> (45-58). After an underwhelming start to the season, the Padres are trapped in the basement of the NL West, 14.5 games behind the lead. Still, they cannot be taken lightly as manager Bud Black has turned the team around of late after splitting five of their last ten games, including a three-game sweep over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/florida-marlins">Florida Marlins</a>. </p>
<p>Arizona enters this series after taking the final two of three games against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.purplerow.com/">Colorado Rockies</a> by a combined score of 19-3. Almost half of those runs came courtesy of the D-Backs young All-Star outfielder <span>Justin Upton</span>. With <span>Stephen Drew</span> out indefinitely after suffering a gruesome ankle injury, the 23-year old Upton led the team's turnaround on the heels of a blistering series, batting 7-for-9 with nine RBIs over the final two games. He hopes to carry that momentum into the roadtrip, as the Diamondbacks expect to face the bottom-end of the Padres rotation.</p>
<p>A newly bolstered bullpen should go to great lengths to help the All-Star in his quest. After an extended stay on the disabled list, Arizona has reinstated closer <span>J.J. Putz</span> onto 40-man roster. Putz, who last pitched June 28th, missed 19 games with right elbow tendinitis. Following recovery, the 34-year old allowed two hits with three strikeouts over four scoreless innings in four minor league rehabilitation appearances. Prior to the injury, Putz recorded 21 saves with a 3.12 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 34 games.</p>
<p>The D-Backs also placed infielder <span>Geoff Blum</span> onto the 15-day disabled list with a fractured right pinkie finger -- the first time in the 38-year old's career that he hit the list twice in one season. 25-year old outfielder Colin Cowgill was called up from Tripe-A Reno to take Blum's place on the roster. Cowgill has hit .354 this season for the Aces, adding 95 runs, 24 doubles, 8 triples, 13 home runs and 70 RBI in 98 games.</p>
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<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Tuesday: <span>Joe Saunders</span> (6-8, 3.82) vs. <span>Dustin Moseley</span> (3-9, 3.19)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Wednesday: <span>Ian Kennedy</span> (11-3, 3.22) vs. Corey Luebke (3-4, 2.65)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Thursday: <span>Daniel Hudson</span> (10-6, 3.72) vs. <span>Mat Latos</span> (5-10, 4.05) [day game]</span></li>
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<p><b>All games are televised locally on FSN AZ with the live game thread at <a href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/" target="_blank">AZ Snake Pit</a>. </b></p>
<p><a href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/2011/7/26/2292731/series-preview-arizona-diamondbacks-san-diego-padres" target="_blank">Series Preview #34: Arizona Diamondbacks @ San Diego Padres - AZ Snake Pit</a></p>
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<p><a href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/2011/7/26/2292731/series-preview-arizona-diamondbacks-san-diego-padres" target="_blank"> </a>With the Colorado Rockies ticked off Arizona's "to do" list, the Diamondbacks head out on the road, for a sweep that will take them through the rest of the NL West. It starts of in San Diego, and you'd better get use to seeing these Padres, as we face them thirteen times over the last sixty games of this season. The good news is, they're in the cellar of the NL West for a reason, with only the crappy <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> and appalling <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.crawfishboxes.com/">Astros</a> having a worse record. On the other hand, they're 3-2 against us this year, so Arizona will be looking to improve on that this series.</p>
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https://arizona.sbnation.com/2011/7/26/2338434/arizona-diamondbacks-continue-divisional-tour-with-three-game-seriesShaun Al-Shatti