Dodgers a big problem for the Diamondbacks, now and future
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBTorey Lovullo on disappointing finish to D-Backs’ trip | 1:58
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo talks about the Diamondbacks’ 6-3 loss to the Giants on Sunday, which ended their 10-game road trip with a 5-5 record.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBAnthony Banda on his first big-league victory | 1:29
Anthony Banda talks about how it feels to win his first game in the big leagues.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBTorey Lovullo talks about Anthony Banda’s win vs. Giants | 2:00
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo was impressed with Anthony Banda’s ability to make adjustments during his outing against the Giants on Friday night.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBMcCain’s stadium advice, best AZ sports moment | 4:16
Arizona Senator John McCain joins the Shot Clock to talk Arizona sports.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBPaul Goldschmidt after three-homer game vs. Cubs | 1:49
Diamondbacks slugger Paul Goldschmidt talks about his three-homer game on Thursday afternoon against the Cubs.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBTorey Lovullo on D-Backs’ wild win over Cubs | 1:37
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo talks about his team’s 10-8 win over the Chicago Cubs on Thursday at Wrigley Field.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBJake Lamb on D-Backs’ bounce-back win over Cubs | 1:24
Third baseman Jake Lamb talks about the Diamondbacks’ ability to bounce back from an ugly loss to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBTorey Lovullo on Godley’s performance, Lamb’s clutch hits | 1:33
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo talks about Zack Godley’s strong six innings and Jake Lamb’s two run-scoring doubles in a win over the Cubs.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBTorey Lovullo on miscues, Descalso’s pitching in 16-4 loss to Cubs | 1:32
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo talks about his team’s defensive miscues and infielder Daniel Descalso’s relief appearance.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBPatrick Corbin on rough outing vs. Cubs | 1:05
Diamondbacks lefty Patrick Corbin says he made too many mistakes against the Cubs on Tuesday night at Wrigley Field.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBShot Clock: Who’s at shortstop for D-Backs? | 1:55
azcentral sports’ Jay Dieffenbach and J.J. Hensley discuss the changes with the Diamondbacks.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBTorey Lovullo on loss to Cardinals, injury to Owings | 1:12
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo talks about his team’s 3-2 loss on Sunday and Chris Owings’ fractured finger.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBTaijuan Walker on his mistakes vs. Cardinals | 1:33
Diamondbacks right-hander Taijuan Walker talks about the mistakes he made in a 3-2 loss to the Cardinals on Sunday.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBRobbie Ray talks about the line drive that hit him | 2:13
Diamondbacks lefty Robbie Ray talks about what he remembers from Friday night, when he was struck on the head by a line drive in the second inning.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBD-Backs’ Zack Greinke on outing vs. Cardinals | 1:26
Diamondbacks right-hander Zack Greinke talks about his performance in a 7-1 win over the Cardinals on Saturday night.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBTorey Lovullo on D-Backs’ 7-1 win over Cardinals | 1:21
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo talks about his team’s all-around performance, including Zack Greinke’s seven strong innings, in a win over the Cardinals.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBD-Backs manager Tony Lovullo on Robbie Ray’s condition | 1:26
Lovullo on Robbie Ray’s condition after getting hit in the head by a line drive.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBDaniel Descalso on liner that hit Robbie Ray | 1:23
Diamondbacks infielder Daniel Descalso talks about the line drive that struck Robbie Ray, and how he was able to catch it after the ball ricocheted in the air.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBShot Clock: Focus key for J.D. Martinez | 2:00
azcentral sports’ Sarah McLellan and Jay Dieffenbach discuss the Diamondbacks in our Shot Clock video.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBTorey Lovullo on Martinez’s grand slam, Godley’s outing | 1:43
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo discusses J.D. Martinez’s grand slam and Zack Godley’s seven shutout innings in a win over the Cardinals.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBJ.D. Martinez on strong performance in win | 1:24
Newly acquired Diamondbacks slugger J.D. Martinez on his play in Wednesday’s win.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBKetel Marte on his inside-the-park home run | 1:32
The Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte talks about his inside-the-park home run in Wednesday’s win.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBLovullo talks about the D-Backs’ 10-3 win over Atlanta | 1:52
Torey Lovullo talks about his team’s win against the Braves.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBDiamondbacks fall 8-3 to Braves | 1:27
Manager Torey Lovullo and right-hander Taijuan Walker react to the loss.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBJ.D. Martinez on playing in the NL, seeing new pitching | 1:22
Martinez: “It’s kind of hard not to [press],” he said. “You just kind of want to get here and show people what you want to do.” Ricky Morin/azcsports
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBLovullo raves about Greinke’s outing vs. Braves | 2:18
Lovullo: “He was in command from start to finish.” Ricky Morin/azcsports
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBZack Greinke discusses outing vs. Braves | 1:02
Greinke: “My command was as good as it’s been in awhile.” Ricky Morin/azcsports
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBTorey Lovullo and Robbie Ray discuss Diamondbacks’ loss to Nationals | 2:29
Manager Torey Lovullo and left-hander Robbie Ray discuss the team’s 6-2 loss to Nationals on Sunday at Chase Field.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBAnthony Banda talks about his MLB debut | 2:59
Anthony Banda talks about his MLB debut in the Diamondbacks’ loss to the Nationals.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBLovullo reacts to the D-Backs’ loss to the Nationals | 2:31
Torey Lovullo on the Diamondbacks’ loss to Washington.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBDiamondbacks edge Nationals in walk-off win | 1:19
Manager Torey Lovullo, second baseman Brandon Drury and center fielder A.J. Pollock react to the 6-5 win.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBDiamondbacks introduce J.D. Martinez at Chase Field | 1:10
Right fielder J.D. Martinez was introduced at Chase Field on Friday.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBTorey Lovullo on Corbin’s outing, series victory vs. Reds | 1:51
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo talks about a 12-2 win over the Reds on Thursday in which Patrick Corbin went 7 1/3 innings.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBPatrick Corbin on his strong start vs. Reds | 1:22
Diamondbacks left-hander Patrick Corbin talks about pitching against the Reds on short notice on Thursday in Cincinnati.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBJ.D. Martinez talks about getting hit by a pitch vs. Reds | 1:19
Diamondbacks slugger J.D. Martinez talks about how his left hand feels after he was hit by a pitch on Wednesday night against the Reds.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBManager Torey Lovullo on loss to Reds, Martinez’s injury | 1:54
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo talks about his team’s 4-3 loss to the Reds on Wednesday night and the hit-by-pitch on new slugger J.D. Martinez.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBZack Greinke on his outing vs. Reds | 1:52
Diamondbacks right-hander Zack Greinke says his location on Wednesday night wasn’t as good as it has been in previous starts.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBShot Clock: D-Backs seize moment with trade | 2:05
azcentral sports’ Greg Moore and Jay Dieffenbach talk about the Diamondbacks trade for J.D. Martinez and what it means.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBTorey Lovullo on D-Backs’ win over Reds, acquisition of J.D. Martinez | 1:40
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo talks about his team’s offensive breakout on Tuesday and about the potential impact of newly acquired slugger J.D. Martinez.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBShot Clock: Robbie Ray brings intensity to mound | 1:51
azcentral sports’ Greg Moore and Mark Faller discuss Robbie Ray pitching for Diamondbacks and Josh Jackson’s transition to the Suns.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBShot Clock: D-Backs fear Cubs; ASU’s hot seat | 1:54
azcentral sports’ Jay Dieffenbach and Doug Haller weigh in on the Diamondbacks and ASU football in our Shot Clock video.
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WATCH THE LATEST VIDEOS FROM THE DIAMONDBACKS AND THE MLBTorey Lovullo after D-Backs’ fifth straight loss | 1:47
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo talks about Zack Godley’s performance on Sunday in a 7-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves.
Torey Lovullo on disappointing finish to D-Backs’ trip
Anthony Banda on his first big-league victory
Torey Lovullo talks about Anthony Banda’s win vs. Giants
McCain’s stadium advice, best AZ sports moment
Paul Goldschmidt after three-homer game vs. Cubs
Torey Lovullo on D-Backs’ wild win over Cubs
Jake Lamb on D-Backs’ bounce-back win over Cubs
Torey Lovullo on Godley’s performance, Lamb’s clutch hits
Torey Lovullo on miscues, Descalso’s pitching in 16-4 loss to Cubs
Patrick Corbin on rough outing vs. Cubs
Shot Clock: Who’s at shortstop for D-Backs?
Torey Lovullo on loss to Cardinals, injury to Owings
Taijuan Walker on his mistakes vs. Cardinals
Robbie Ray talks about the line drive that hit him
D-Backs’ Zack Greinke on outing vs. Cardinals
Torey Lovullo on D-Backs’ 7-1 win over Cardinals
D-Backs manager Tony Lovullo on Robbie Ray’s condition
Daniel Descalso on liner that hit Robbie Ray
Shot Clock: Focus key for J.D. Martinez
Torey Lovullo on Martinez’s grand slam, Godley’s outing
J.D. Martinez on strong performance in win
Ketel Marte on his inside-the-park home run
Lovullo talks about the D-Backs’ 10-3 win over Atlanta
Diamondbacks fall 8-3 to Braves
J.D. Martinez on playing in the NL, seeing new pitching
Lovullo raves about Greinke’s outing vs. Braves
Zack Greinke discusses outing vs. Braves
Torey Lovullo and Robbie Ray discuss Diamondbacks’ loss to Nationals
Anthony Banda talks about his MLB debut
Lovullo reacts to the D-Backs’ loss to the Nationals
Diamondbacks edge Nationals in walk-off win
Diamondbacks introduce J.D. Martinez at Chase Field
Torey Lovullo on Corbin’s outing, series victory vs. Reds
Patrick Corbin on his strong start vs. Reds
J.D. Martinez talks about getting hit by a pitch vs. Reds
Manager Torey Lovullo on loss to Reds, Martinez’s injury
Zack Greinke on his outing vs. Reds
Shot Clock: D-Backs seize moment with trade
Torey Lovullo on D-Backs’ win over Reds, acquisition of J.D. Martinez
Shot Clock: Robbie Ray brings intensity to mound
Shot Clock: D-Backs fear Cubs; ASU’s hot seat
Torey Lovullo after D-Backs’ fifth straight loss
Los Angeles is more bully than rival. We hate them. They ignore us.
Their sports teams specialize in tormenting the Valley. They have 20 major professional championships despite spending 21 years without an NFL team. The arrogance of their fan base comes from their collective dispassion, where they show up late and leave early; act like they don’t need athletic teams to be happy; all while they surf, sit in traffic and wait for the biggest stars to come to them.
This one-sided relationship can be directly traced to our inferiority complex as a sports market. It spawned the longstanding battle cry of “Beat LA.” And if our pain and envy wasn’t bad enough, they’ve rarely fielded a team as good as the one that showed up at Chase Field on Tuesday.
This is a big problem.
The Dodgers are on a historic roll. They arrived in Arizona with 44 wins in their past 51 games. They’ve lost to only one team since July 4, dropping three games to the Braves. They have a devastating collection of young stars, the best pitcher in Major League Baseball, a well-stocked farm system and payroll flexibility the Diamondbacks will never match.
They added star pitcher Yu Darvish at the trade deadline and still possess 19 of their top 20 minor-league prospects. The implications are frightening.
In two decades of operation, the Diamondbacks have rarely promised a brighter future. General Manager Mike Hazen will likely go down as one of the more impactful hires in team history. The franchise is now steeped in methodology and churning out shrewd personnel decisions. They showed admirable restraint in not trading away future assets for short-term glory in 2017.
But the rise of the Evil Empire changes everything, leading to a very uncomfortable question: What if the Diamondbacks are resigned to play for nothing but a wild-card berth for the foreseeable future? What if our baseball team is like the Suns, conceding the present to a modern-day dynasty in Golden State?
That’s why this current series carries a certain significance. After getting swept in Los Angeles in July, including a blown save from Fernando Rodney that rocked the Valley like few regular-season losses in our history, it’s important for the Diamondbacks to regain a chunk of dignity. They need to believe they will be more than a speed bump for these Dodgers should these teams meet again in the playoffs.
The same applied to starting pitcher Zack Godley, who entered Tuesday’s game with a streak of 13 consecutive scoreless innings. The Diamondbacks will likely need their ace, Zack Greinke, to win a one-game playoff against the Rockies. The comeback of Robbie Ray is clouded by psychological concerns, a pitcher who was hit in the head with a baseball traveling 108 miles per hour.
Godley could be a Game 1 starter against the Dodgers in the postseason. He derailed the red-hot Cubs after the reigning World Series champions scored 16 runs the previous night. He needed to give his team a reason for hope come October.
The Dodgers will also be under tremendous pressure once the postseason arrives. They’ve won four consecutive National League West titles without reaching the World Series. Teams that dominate in the regular season are burdened with heavy expectations, required to punctuate their greatness with championship rings and a victory parade. It doesn’t always work.
The 1906 Cubs and 2001 Mariners each won 116 games and failed to win a championship. Same with the Warriors in the NBA, a team that set a record with 73 regular-season victories only to collapse in the 2016 Finals.
The Diamondbacks are not going to catch the Dodgers for a division title. But they need to give this juggernaut something to think about, a shadow of doubt if these teams meet again in the postseason.
We’ve been pursuing the Hollywood dream since becoming a professional sports market nearly 50 years ago. The Suns have chased the Lakers, who always seemed to acquire the NBA’s dominant center. Our futility was evident when Raja Bell became a Valley legend for a cheap shot on Lakers star Kobe Bryant, the only way our basketball team could get revenge.
ASU trails USC in college football the way a dog chases its tail. Coyotes fans have learned to hate the Kings. We welcomed Shaquille O’Neal after he was done winning championships at the Staples Center. We drafted Matt Leinart when he was no longer an impact player in Southern California. We celebrated the arrival of the great Wayne Gretzky only after he was done playing and about to become a very flawed head coach.
There is a reason why LA fans don’t respect Arizona teams, and the 2017 Dodgers are only adding to their hubris. Which is why the Diamondbacks have one mission in this series:
Give them something to fear. It might be handy come October.
Reach Bickley at [email protected] or 602-444-8253. Follow him on twitter.com/dan.bickley. Listen to “Bickley and Marotta” weekdays from 12-2 p.m. on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.
Pitchers: Diamondbacks RHP Zack Greinke (13-4, 3.10) vs. Dodgers LHP Alex Wood (13-1, 2.33).
TV/Radio: FSAZ/KMVP-FM (98.7), KHOV-FM (105.1)
You’d be hard-pressed to find a better pitching matchup all season. Greinke was hit hard his last outing, giving up nine hits and six earned runs to the Chicago Cubs in six innings. … At Chase Field, he’s 10-0 with a 2.39 ERA and has struck out 95 batters in 79 innings. … Greinke lost his only previous start against the Dodgers this year when he allowed five runs in five innings way back in April. … Wood has been a revelation for the Dodgers but he’s already pitched 40 more innings than he did all last year and recently complained of some fatigue in his left arm.
Coming up
Thursday: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks LHP Anthony Banda (1-1, 3.86) vs. Dodgers RHP Yu Darvish (7-9, 3.81).
Friday: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks TBD vs. Cubs RHP John Lackey (9-9, 4.81).
Saturday: At Chase Field, 5:10 p.m., Diamondbacks TBD vs. Cubs LHP Jon Lester (8-6, 3.97).