Arizona Will Live And Die With Interleague Play

Good teams usually perform well during interleague play. That makes sense, right? When a team can play well against unfamiliar foes, it usually bodes well for team dynamic and overall strength. It is one thing to play NL West teams 600 times a year, but interleague play is crucial. Arizona got a tough draw this year, but they are not performing the way they

should

could.

I would like to see a little more of this during interleague play: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

I think we can all agree that the Diamondbacks played murderers row this year during interleague play. Every time I look at the schedule, it seems like the D-Backs are playing Tampa Bay again. This year, Arizona is 7-7 against American League teams. Not as bad as it seems, but for some reason, the Diamondbacks just can’t seem to get comfortable playing AL teams – especially ones that are better than them. Arizona will play seven more games against the American League this year and if they do not win at least five of them, well, it will be a major disappointment. It is very easy to blame the scheduler this year because Arizona has had to play the Yankees in New York, Tampa every weekend, Boston in Beantown, Texas (both home and away), and just when you think that the Snakes are out of the woods, they still have Baltimore and Toronto waiting for them–great!

Arizona plays a certain type of baseball. This way is similar to what the American League teams know. Boston, Toronto, Texas, Tampa Bay and Baltimore are all in the top 10 in runs scored this year; Arizona is 14th. What is frustrating about this year is that during interleague play, Arizona is essentially being beat at their own game. Although Arizona did not play great in Boston, the series against the Sox was an indication of  potential. The Diamondbacks traded blows with Boston for most of that series, only to eventually get knocked out. Nice boxing reference, huh? We can analyze wins and loses in interleague as much as we want, but I’m just chalking it up to the fact that Arizona just is not a very good team this year, plain and simple. Blame the schedule, blame the injuries, or blame whatever. I think the D-Backs can be competitive in these interleague games, but they are not consistent enough to be considered an elite team. I get worried every time Arizona plays an interleague game and that is not supposed to happen.

The D-Backs grabbed two straight W’s against the Rays, so that’s good! Now, it is time for the Mets.

Follow @venomstrikes on the Twitter for news and updates.