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Diamondbacks are lucky the rest of the division is also losing

By Christopher Gaine
May 2, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Johnny Cueto walks off the field at the end of the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
May 2, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Johnny Cueto walks off the field at the end of the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports /
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It’s no secret that the Diamondbacks haven’t been very good this year. They have a team ERA over 5.00 on the season and have had offseason acquisitions Zack Greinke and Shelby Miller disappoint mightily.

But thankfully for the Diamondbacks, they’re not out of it yet. They’re not even close to being out. They haven’t even dug themselves into much of a deficit. By virtue of playing in the weakest division in the league, the team is only three games out of first place. The  Giants are the only team in the West over .500– and they’re one game over.

With five full months of baseball yet to be played, it’s not time to hit the panic button. Yet. As long as the team’s rotation can settle in and improve somewhat, they will have one of baseball’s most potent lineups supporting them. Arizona has the seventh-best offense in all of baseball, they just need their pitching– which is supposed to be the team’s strength– to play to its full potential. Then, the team can maybe gain some momentum and take advantage of a weak division.

The Diamondbacks still have plenty of time to turn this season around. And with much of their division schedule yet to be played, they’ll have plenty of opportunities to gain ground on the Dodgers and Giants. How close the Diamondbacks can stay with the pack could end up being a deciding factor in not only how the season goes, but if the team decides to rush A.J. Pollock back to the field.

Are the Diamondbacks the 1998 Yankees? No. But the 2005 Padres made the playoffs with an 82-80 record. That could work.

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