July 8, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; USA pitcher Tyler Skaggs throws a pitch during the fifth inning of the 2012 All Star Futures Game at Kauffman Stadium. Image: H. Darr Beiser-USA TODAY Sports via US PRESSWIRE

There has been a wave of young pitchers that have spent significant amounts of time with the Diamondbacks this season. Trevor Bauer and Patrick Corbin have made their big league debuts in 2012 and All Star Wade Miley who spent a little time in Arizona in 2011 is now up for good.  Even former D-Back prospect Jarrod Parker has gotten into the act, becoming a mainstay in the Oakland rotation.  One name that has not been mentioned much since Spring Traning but we could hear from in September is Tyler Skaggs.

You remember Skaggs, don’t you?  He is the guy that came to Arizona in the Dan Haren deal.  A 6 foot 4 lefty, he was the Angels’ first round pick in 2009 after graduating from Santa Monica High School.  He has been an All Star in both Single A and Double A.   Until Monday’s Futures Game, Skaggs had been quietly putting up impressive numbers at AA Mobile before being promoted to Triple A Reno making two starts there.  In fact, Monday represented the second time Skaggs had appeared in the Futures Game.   He was the starting pitcher for the United States in the 2011 edition and pitched a scoreless inning and saw action the other night, pitching a scoreless fifth frame.

Right now, Skaggs has pitched just a shade under 80 innings between Mobile and Reno.  He pitched a total of 158.1 innings in 2011.   Since he will be turning just 21 this week,  a September call up to the big club is not a guarantee.  The team may elect to save him for the Arizona Fall League.   The rotation to start 2014 could be a dandy featuring  Bauer, Skaggs, Miley and Corbin.  For now, here is hoping Skaggs can avoid serious injury and work his way up the pitching food chain.

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D-Backs' Aaron Hill (2) is congratulated by manager Kirk Gibson after hitting a solo home run against the Mariners during the seventh inning at Chase Field, 6/18/12. Image: Jennifer Stewart-US PRESSWIRE

I am a wrestling fan.  Not as big as I used to be, but I watch enough to keep up with current happenings.   One of the big stars in WWE  right now is Daniel Bryan.  What does this have to do with the Diamondbacks?  Well, I asked myself this past weekend if I still thought Arizona was going to reach the World Series.   The answer, to borrow the signature catchphrase of Mr. Bryan, was and still is a resounding   YES!   YES!   YES!

I wrote last week that all we should expect from Arizona against the Rangers and Angels was a 2-4 record during their toughest six game stretch.  That is exactly how it worked out.  Even though they were shut out twice in Los Angeles, they actually outscored the Angels 5-3.   Ian Kennedy easily had his best outing on Sunday.  One of the games lost in Texas was a 1-0 defeat and in the D-Back win, they held the powerful Rangers to only three runs.  That’s four runs allowed in two games in a ballpark and against a lineup that is a nightmare for pitching.  Clearly both the rotation and the bullpen are rounding into form.   The bats are poised to awaken from their season-long slumber.  They should feast at home with the Mariners currently visiting and the Cubs due this weekend.  Last night’s 7-1 victory against Seattle featured a cycle by Aaron Hill.  In their last three victories, Arizona has scored five runs or more, for a total of 23.  Snakes alive?  You bet.

After this coming Sunday, count on the D-Backs to be at least two games over .500.   This is a team that is heading up.  They still won’t catch the Dodgers but that won’t matter.   Although the record does not indicate it, they should be the favorites to capture a Wild Card.  After all, they did win 94 games last year and stand to improve with the return of Stephen Drew  and the potential Major League debut of Trevor Bauer.    Would back-to-back playoff seasons and a World Series appearance make the Valley happy?  YES!  YES!  YES!

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Lyle Overbay (left) is congratulated by pitcher Ian Kennedy (31) after scoring against the Colorado Rockies during the second inning at Chase Field. Image: Jennifer Stewart-US PRESSWIRE

Wow. 

It is hard to believe that we are already 60 games into the 2012 season.  It seemed like yesterday that all of us at Venomstrikes.com were unified in picking the Diamondbacks to win the National League West.   At 30-30, it hasn’t quite worked out that way so far but at least now they are starting to show signs of why we liked them so much at the beginning of the season.  Having said that, they are now embarking on their toughest six game stretch of the entire 2012 campaign.  They will be playing the Rangers in Texas, perhaps the best team in baseball, followed by a trip to Los Angeles to face perhaps the hottest team in the game, the Angels.

What should Arizona expect on this trip?  These two teams are a far different animal than their fellow American League West squad, the A’s, whom the D-Backs just swept.  However, Texas has been struggling as of late, starting the month of June 4-6.  Tonight, the Snakes get Colby Lewis who lost to Oakland in his previous start.  Ian Kennedy takes the hill for Arizona coming off  a 12 strikout performance against the Rockies.   Texas in their ballpark is an extremely dangerous bunch, one that sends opposing pitchers’ ERA’s higher than one of those Six Flags rides near the stadium.  As for the Angels, they are 7-3 so far this month, including last night’s 3-2, come-from-behind victory over the Dodgers.  The Dodgers-Angels matchup is for LA bragging rights so when the D-Backs come to visit, the Angels may take a little bit of a breather.  That’s wishful thinking.  Los Angeles is trying to recoup as much ground on Texas as possible because of their poor start.  The Angels will not be friendly hosts this coming weekend.

The D-Backs are hot in their own right, riding a five game winning streak.  However, the expectations for these next six games should not be so inflated.  If they go 3-3, be thrilled.  A 2-4 record is not the worst thing in the world as when they return home, the Mariners and Cubs await them, a perfect opportunity for another 5-1 homestand.

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