Arizona will play Colorado 19 times in 2013 with the first game occurring on April 19th

The Diamondbacks will play 19 total games against the Rockies this year, with 13 of them coming before the All-star break. Arizona finished 10-8 against Colorado in 2012 and I’d like to see the number increase this year. There has been a lot of commotion in the Mile-High city this off season and things might be rough for the Rox. Along with Colorado, the D’backs will play 19 games against San Diego this year. If Arizona wants to make a playoff push, they must win games they are “supposed to win.” Obviously, I know the season has not started but I’m basing these thoughts on opinions that I have for the season. The Snakes had a losing record against the Padres last season and for a playoff berth to happen, a losing record can’t exist.

Now for the important stuff: winning games against the best in your division. LA has made some off season moves that have them in position to potentially be very powerful in 2013. We will see Los Angeles 19 times in 2013 and if Arizona can be victorious in 12 of those games, the D’backs should be in good shape. Arizona gets its first bite of the Dodgers on April 12-14 for a weekend series at Chase Field. As far as San Fran is concerned, Arizona plays them yep, you guessed it, 19 times. Arizona finished with a .500 record in 2012 against the Giants so if the Diamondbacks can repeat with that, or at least some sort of winning record against the boys from San Fransisco, then we should be looking alright.

These thoughts are entirely speculation but that is what I love so much about baseball. We, as fans use our knowledge to predict what we think may happen to our respective teams and with the season coming closer, we will soon find out how accurate we really are. The Diamondbacks will play 76 games against NL West opponents in the 2013 campaign and if Arizona can win between 45-50 games(I know it sounds like a long shot) then come October we will be sitting pretty. Really pretty.

Pitchers and catchers report in 12 days.

Sept. 10, 2011; Phoenix AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks former pitcher Curt Schilling before the game against the San Diego Padres at Chase Field. Image: Jennifer Hilderbrand-US PRESSWIRE

Today marks the 68th anniversary of D-Day, one of the most famous days in our great country’s history. This was the day the Allies landed on the beach in Normandy, France to push German forces back across the European continent, one of the most important missions during World War II. Less than a year later, America and her allies were victorious over Germany ending one of the most evil reigns in history. Since I love the date of June 6th, I decided to see how the Arizona Diamondbacks fared on game day 10 years ago today. I found…..nothing. They were off. So I decided to do the next best thing: look up their game from June 6th, 2001.

On that date, the D-Backs defeated the Dodgers 4-1 behind Curt Schilling’s  complete game six-hitter in which he struck out eight and did not walk a batter. Schilling improved to 10-1 and Luis Gonzalez continued his amazing season going 2 for 4. Damien Miller and Jay Bell  contributed solo home runs and Mark Grace added an RBI double. The only Dodger run came courtesy of a Shawn Green home run. Luke Prokopec started and was the losing pitcher with Eric Gagne pitching the final two innings. The win increased Arizona’s lead in the NL West to two games over LA boosting their overall record to 35-24. It also snapped a minuscule two game losing streak. They finished their series against the Dodgers with a 13-9 victory the following afternoon before playing nine games against three American League teams. Click here for a look at the box score and play by play.

I have always enjoyed reading over old box scores and checking out names that and saying, “Oh yeah, I remember him”. Hopefully some of the D-Back names (and Dodger names for that matter) causes you to have one of those moments.

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D-Backs Joe Saunders (34) throws during the first inning against the Dodgers at Chase Field on 5/23 Text: Matt Kartozian-US PRESSWIRE

It was a win. That’s it.

No grand pronouncements that the Arizona Diamondbacks have finally turned a corner. No great praise for a bullpen that protected a seven run lead. Let’s leave it at this: it was a good victory.

Not much more than that.

OK, if you want a little glimmer of sunshine, you can laud the offense for putting up 18 runs over the last two games against the best team, perhaps in all of baseball. But then you realize in the previous two contests, they mustered a grand total of three runs.   So the enthusiasm must be tempered a bit.  Still, in this season of disappointment so far, one needs to look for positive vibes in almost any place you can get it.  Yes, Daniel Hudson will be returning soon.  Yes, Justin Upton is showing signs of coming out of his season-long funk.  And yes, if you need any more reason to be excited, Trevor Bauer  allowed one hit and one walk in five innings of work for Reno last night as he inches closer to a callup to the Big Club.  All well and good. 

Do you want real hope and excitement? 

Sweep the Brewers at home this weekend.   Don’t get swept in San Francisco next week.  And by all means, you should post a  minimum 5-1 record against the Padres and Rockies this weekend.  These teams (except the Giants at two over) all have records at least 8 games under .500.  If you want some kind of excitement, how about at least an 8-4 record in these next 12 games?   Good teams beat up on weaker ones.   It is time for Arizona to show the world why they won 94 games and the National League West last season.  If they can’t muster up eight victories over the next twelve, last night’s triumph turns into this:

A win is just a win.

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