Have the Wheels Fallen Off?

September 4, 2007 by Chris Hall

The Arizona Diamondbacks have hit a wall.  They’re scuffling.  They’re searching for answers.  We’ve always known a young team’s psyche is fragile.  Ten days ago, this team lead the division by 3+ games.  Now there is talk of the Padres sending Peavy to the mound early to finish off the snakes once and for all.  The Diamondbacks cannot afford to lose tonight’s game to Chris Young.  The true Padres’ Ace has been sidelined with back issues and he didn’t seem very solid against the D’Backs last time out.  They need to strike back now.

Since winning the series against the Cubs, the Diamondbacks have lost six of their last eight games.  They still hold steady in the turbulent Wild Card Standings, but the speed with which they lost ground in the division is troubling. 

Arms have gone cold, bats have gone silent.  Brandon Webb is 0-2 in his last 2 starts and our bullpen is starting to show signs of being heavily worked.  In the last 8 games, the D’Backs have be outscored 31 to 44, and that includes a single game where the snakes put 13 on the board. 

Less than a month ago, the D’Backs were primed for big innings anytime Chris Young led off.  Pitchers feared running through the guantlet that was the top of our order.   Now this same group just gave Greg Maddux his second win against this organization and his first in his last 11 starts against this team. 

I still have faith that this team can turn it all around.  The starters need to go a little deeper in the game and give the bullpen rest.  The hitters need to start stringing together some quality at-bats.  This team has the talent, so it is not quite time to hit the panic button. 

They have time.  But you never really want a late-season collapse to be one of the building blocks of a young organization.  It all starts with Doug Davis tonight. 

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