If the Arizona Diamondbacks truly want to stay atop the National League West, they certainly didn't show it until the last two games of their recent east coast swing.
The D-Backs entered play on Wednesday having lost eight of their previous nine games and were 1-7 on a road trip that stopped through Washington, Atlanta and New York. Perhaps encouraged by the fact that every other team in the division not named the Los Angeles Dodgers was in the midst of an almost identical stretch, Arizona pulled it together and took the final two games of their series against the Mets, allowing the team to return home for a three-game series with the Colorado Rockies having at least some semblance of momentum.
As it sits now, the D-Backs are the only team in the NL West with a winning record, and any outcome besides getting swept by the Rockies in this series will keep it that way. Neither the offense nor the starting rotation have been as good lately as they were earlier in the season, but there are definitely reasons to believe that will change soon.
Aaron Hill and Eric Chavez, both of whom are well-above-average offensively in 2013, were recently activated from the disabled list and should give the team quite a boost once they get fully reacquainted with the baseball diamond. And, although Wade Miley, Trevor Cahill and Ian Kennedy have regressed quite a bit from previous seasons, the D-Backs have been enjoying the services of rookie hurlers Patrick Corbin, who is 9-1 with a 2.49 ERA, and Tyler Skaggs, who has shown an ability to miss bats in three starts so far this season. Corbin is the team's ace, and, depending on how he performs on Friday against the Rockies, Skaggs could find himself with the opportunity to stick in the rotation for more than just a few spot starts.
Paul Goldschmidt is in the midst of his breakout year and might wind up starting the All-Star game for the National League, depending on how the last few days of voting went. He certainly would be deserving of the honor, as you can see from the numbers above.
Gerardo Parra and Didi Gregorius are the D-Backs' only two other above-average regulars. Gregorius has experienced some regression after a blistering start, but he still carries a very good bat for a guy who was widely considered a glove-first prospect while in the Reds organization. Parra is starting to do to everyone else in the league what he has always done to the Rockies: hit. A lot. Parra's batting line of .300/.359/.450 is, like that of Goldschmidt, All-Star-worthy, especially considering the fact that he plays a very good outfield.
*****
Probable pitchers
Game 1: Friday, July 5 at 7:40 p.m. MT (ROOT Sports)
Jorge De La Rosa (8-4, 3.09 ERA) vs. Tyler Skaggs (1-1, 5.40 ERA)
Game 2: Saturday, July 6 at 8:10 p.m. MT (ROOT Sports, MLB Network)
Drew Pomeranz (0-1, 8.31) vs. Wade Miley (4-7, 4.29)
Game 3: Sunday, July 7 at 2:10 p.m. MT (ROOT Sports)
Roy Oswalt (0-3, 7.88) vs. Patrick Corbin (9-1, 2.49)
*****