KTE - Who are the Arizona Diamondbacks ...

[Frayed Knot]

... and what the heck are they doing in first place?

These are the guys who looked turrible when the Mets faced them earlier in the year as the Mets swept all three* which started to right their ship after the 6-13 start.
But suddenly this squad has won 65 games already this year despite winning just 65 games all last season! They�re being helped by posting a record 4 games better than their �Pythagorean Record� but still a stunning turn-around.

In fact, the only thing that surprised me more than discovering them being in first place is opening the KTE thread a few hours ago to discover that I had the assignment for this series!

So how are they doing it? (like I know)

Pitching: Well they�re not particularly good at run prevention, not when they�re giving up R/G at a higher clip than all but 4 NL teams (just ahead of us). Of course their hitter-friendly park plays a factor in that.

Hitting: Well there they�re 3rd highest in the league - and, again, it�s one slot higher than us. They sport a BA & OBA that are around average but have a near league-best Slugging Pct.

Most likely Lineup:
C - Miguel Montero -- .271/.344/.447; 38 XBHs
1B - Lately it�s been a combination of rookie call-up (9 ML games) Paul Goldschmidt and ex-Met Xavier Nady .248/.284/.359
2B - Kelly Johnson -- .209/.291/.416; 44 XBHs
3B - Ryan Roberts -- .264/.357/.453 (he's that dude with the ugly neck tattoo in'nt he?)
SS - Willie Bloomquist -- .278/.326/.369
LF - Geraldo Parra -- .296/.360/.440
CF - Chris Young -- .245/.327/.439; 48 XBHs
RF - Justin Upton -- .302/.374/.550; 61 XBHs

Closer: J.J. Putz (oh, yes, him) - 2.83 ERA; 1.04 WHiP; 34 Saves/4 Blown
Rule 5 draftee Joe Patterson seems to be their main LHP out of the pen supplemented by converted starter Zach Duke

DL: Geoff Blum & Stephen Drew

Game 1: 9:40 PM EDT
Dillon Gee vs Ian Kennedy [14-3; 3.20; 1.102 WHiP]
The guy drafted in the first round by the Yanx some 20 slots ahead of Joba the Fat is turning out to be the better pitcher even though he was ignored somewhat by the folks back in the Bronx. in favor of both Joba & Phil Hughes. Kennedy wound up in the desert via the three-way deal which landed Curtis Granderson in pinstripes and Austin Jackson in Detroit; a rare three-way swap which is working out well good for all sides at this point.

Game 2: 8:10 PM EDT
Mike Pelfrey vs Daniel Hudson [11-8; 3.83; 1.265]
Hudson, a 5th round 2008 pick out of Old Dominion University by the ChiSox, wound up with Arizona in exchange for Edwin Jackson just over a year ago at last season�s deadline, the Sox obviously getting fooled by Jackson�s flukey no-hitter two years back.

Game 3: Sunday 4:10 PM EDT
Chris Capuano vs Jason Marquis [8-6; 4.48; 1.50]
Marquis was a deadline acquisition this year from Washington although he�s been awful in his two games for Arizona since the deal [15 runs, 11 earned, in 8 innings].


* Mets win 4-1 -- Pelfrey goes 7 IPs with 1 run. Mets score twice in the 7th (Ike 2R HR) and twice in the 8th
Mets win 6-4 -- Gee wins as Murphy & Bay drive in 5
Mets win 8-4 -- Niese wins and Wright (twice) and Pridie HR

[Fman99]

Tough break to get both Hudson and Kennedy in a three game set as they are the Douchebacks best starters.

(Two games on WPIX this weekend. FML)

[Frayed Knot]

I had forgotten that Sean Burroughs is even back in baseball much less on this team (he wasn't during the first series) until seeing him in the starting lineup.
As a one-time LLWS hero and the son of former AL MVP Jeff, Sean was the 8th overall draft pick by SD and an uber-prospect by the early 2000s. But this can't-miss prospect missed anyway as he totaled all of 11 HRs over two full seasons and parts of three others (1,600 ABs) and then ... he retired.
He sat out most of 2007 and then all of 2008, 2009, and 2010 (no minors, no independent ball, no nothing as far as I can tell) before getting a minor league deal with Arizona this past winter. After 100+ ABs with Reno in AAA he was called up in May.

[bmfc1]

I know they won last night but the AZs are another team that I look at and think that the Mets, fully stocked, are at least as good as them and yet the Mets are well out of it and those guys are in first. Except for the MFPs, who are in a class by themselves (even though their fans have no class), and to a lesser extent the Braves and Giants, the Mets are as good as anybody, even the first place Diamondbacks.

Thanks for the report FK.

[Frayed Knot]

When you're losing as many 1-run games as we are lately (4 of the last 6 losses) and leaving so many runners on base it's impossible to look at the simultaneous absence of Reyes, Beltran, Davis & Murphy and not see how one or two extra hits can turn a result around.

Mets are at +6 RS/RA for the year and the D'Backs at +23. That's hardly a big difference even before you factor in health & division strength.

[smg58]

bmfc1 wrote: I know they won last night but the AZs are another team that I look at and think that the Mets, fully stocked, are at least as good as them and yet the Mets are well out of it and those guys are in first.

They're playing in the right division this year, and the Mets are playing in the wrong one.

Kennedy gives a lot of hope to Jennry Mejia. He was called up a year too early, then lost the following season with an injury. Now he's an ace.