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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Sep. 24 2011; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks chief executive officer Derrick Hall claps from the stands during a game against the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field. The Diamondbacks defeated the Giants, 15-2. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-US PRESSWIRE

The sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers in late March to a group headed by Lakers’ legend Magic Johnson is certainly good for the game of baseball.  It will revitalize one of the game’s most storied organizations as Johnson and former Braves executive Stan Kasten will do whatever it takes to put a winner on the field.  It will also present a new set of challenges for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

For the past couple of seasons, the Dodgers were hamstrung by the bitter divorce proceedings of Frank and Jamie McCourt.  This fight paralyzed the team when it came to making moves to keep the club competitive.  That will not be the case now, starting at this year’s trade deadline, if not sooner. You can bet Johnson, who has winning seeping through his pores, will stop at nothing to bring a World Series Championship to Chavez Ravine for the first time since 1988.   Having a respected baseball man such as Kasten running things means the baseball operations are in fine hands.

What this means for the Diamondbacks is a little bit like what the Tampa Bay Rays must contend with in the same division as the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.  They will not be able to outspend Los Angeles so they will have to rely on superior personnel decisions.  As chronicled many times here at Venomstrikes, the farm system does have the talent on hand.  The D-Backs do have two benefits that the Rays do not.  The first is Arizona spends more on payroll than Tampa.  The second is that as long as the Rays stay at Tropicana Field, the D-Backs will always have much better attendance giving them a more potent revenue stream.

The sheriffs in Los Angeles will definitely have everyone talking about the Dodgers again.  Will they have enough in 2012 to knock off the new kids in Arizona?

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