San Diego Padres @ Arizona Diamondbacks July 5 - July 8 2018

[Dback Jon]

Souza is trash

 

[devilalum]

Hey, didn’t you used to be Jake Lamb?

 

[BC867]

Souza is trash

But that would apply to all the D-backs since the score was tied. And a lot of the team at bat this season with all the .100 batting averages.

But I'd use the word 'disappointing'.

McFarland starts his 4th inning here in the 14th. Godley, scheduled to start Thursday, is now up in the bullpen.

Owings singles with one out, but Jay hits into a DP.

OK, it's time to say it. Why couldn't they have saved one of yesterday's 20 runs for today?

And Godley is now pitching in the 15th and Peralta replaces Jay in a double switch in LF.

And Godley strands two.

 

[BC867]

Souza strands Goldy on 1B and we go to the 16th. Now pitching -- Jeff Mathis as Avila takes over behind the plate.

Mathis, chewing away on his gum, gives up a 2-out HR.

D-backs down 4-3 and Marte leads off with a double. He's the potential tying run. And the invisible Lamb strikes out,

"Pitcher" Mathis moves Marte to 3B with a fly ball. And the weak hitting Chris Owings grounds out to end the game. 4-3 Padres in 16.

 

[Dback Jon]

Really stupid to only pitch godley for an inning

And even stupider to pitch to Myers

 

[GatorAZ]

Bunt Lamb.

 

[Dback Jon]

Lamb looks lost

 

[Dback Jon]

Lamb and Souza 0-14

 

[az240zz]

Of we tie it who pitches

 

[GatorAZ]

Lamb and Souza 0-14

A lot of scrub hitters on this squad

 

[TJ]

Significant loss.

 

[BC867]

Lamb and Souza 0-14

Actually, Lamb, Souza and Ahmed each went 0-7 and Jay 0-5.

 

[UncleChris]

I am getting the distinct feeling that in reality, this is a mediocre team that has had a couple of hot streaks.

 

[Dback Jon]

Well that really sucked

 

[devilalum]

Lamb looks lost

You mean Jake Lamb?
Next week’s bobble head doll honoree.


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[Shaggy]

And the Dodgers lost. Could've been 2 games up!

 

[Broseph]

Man, the Souza acquisition has been terrible, dude has been hurt most of the year and when healthy hasn't looked great.

 

[BC867]

I am getting the distinct feeling that in reality, this is a mediocre team that has had a couple of hot streaks.

Three of our sluggers who were on the DL, as well as some pitchers and Goldy and Avila returning from their half-season hitting problems are finally back together and looking good, and you're giving up after just a few days of being almost at full strength?

They were indeed mediocre for the first half of the season and somehow held on to 1st place. And now, because a 20-run game was followed by an extra inning loss, you're still calling them mediocre? Really?

Personally, I can't understand how a D-backs fan could put that in writing at this time. We are just starting the road back to a full active roster.

Consider that Pollock and Corbin will probably not be with us next season. Man, if there is time to show hope in our team, it is right now. This season. In the words of Tug McGraw, "Ya gotta believe." Or not. I believe!

 

[BC867]

Man, the Souza acquisition has been terrible, dude has been hurt most of the year and when healthy hasn't looked great.

It was a reactionary move by the D-backs front office to try to cover the loss of J.D. Martinez.

I am sure it hasn't been easy for Souza who is a line drive hitter/good baserunner/good defensive outfielder to step into the shoes of baseball's leading HR hitter for the past two half-seasons, because the D-backs couldn't afford him.

Disappointing, yes. But it is not fair to put the blame on Souza. He is what he is, but he is trying to be what he is not. I am hoping now that, finally, with Peralta/Goldy/Lamb/Pollock (or at least 2 or 3 of them in Lovullo's rotation) batting in front of him and Avila (who seems to have found his mojo) or Murphy hitting behind him, Souza re-establishes his own game. He has shown power in the past, but has never hit for average.

EDIT: Re-reading my last two posts, am I the only optimist around? C'mon, guys. The D-backs have a lot going for them this season. But Torey is going to have to be very wise in how he uses them.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Man, the Souza acquisition has been terrible, dude has been hurt most of the year and when healthy hasn't looked great.

I really want to like the guy... he seems like such a great dude. But he simply can't hit, period. Like, he literally can't hit a major league pitcher! It's becoming nearly impossible to watch...

 

[BC867]

I really want to like the guy... he seems like such a great dude. But he simply can't hit, period. Like, he literally can't hit a major league pitcher! It's becoming nearly impossible to watch...

The D-backs acquired Souza because of his 30/78 last season. He was able to hit then. As I've mentioned, it was a desperate attempt to replace the hottest HR hitter in the Major Leagues who wanted to play here but they wouldn't re-sign. Do you feel any better with Chris Owings as our corner outfielder?

SOUZA

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OWINGS

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OK, '82', I join you in being disappointed in Souza. Perhaps anybody would have trouble following Martinez, the best HR hitter in the Major Leagues since last year.

But with Souza having only 66 plate appearances (vs. Owings 244) and just back from injury, I am inclined to give Souza a chance over Owings. Unless we'd rather go with the leadoff hitter Jon Jay (who is older), who had a hot spell, then a cold spell, and now appears to be hitting again.

Souza is not the first D-backs power hitter who has underperformed this season. Look at Goldy and Avila during the first half. And you never know what you are going to get from Lamb.

I have come to realize that the problem was the coaching staff and their obsession with "lift" -- uppercutting every pitch. It works only if you do not try to hit each one out of the park.

Picture you dropping a baseball while standing on a chair and me trying to hit is smack in the middle. It defies the laws of nature. So is swinging vertically at a ball pitched horizontally -- "lift". Souza is one of many victims of it on the D-backs.

We have so much potential in the heart of our batting order this season if only the coaches would let the hitters use common sense when batting.

 

[82CardsGrad]

The D-backs acquired Souza because of his 30/78 last season. He was able to hit then. As I've mentioned, it was a desperate attempt to replace the hottest HR hitter in the Major Leagues who wanted to play here but they wouldn't re-sign. Do you feel any better with Chris Owings as our corner outfielder?

SOUZA

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OWINGS

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OK, '82', I join you in being disappointed in Souza. Perhaps anybody would have trouble following Martinez, the best HR hitter in the Major Leagues since last year.

But with Souza having only 66 plate appearances (vs. Owings 244) and just back from injury, I am inclined to give Souza a chance over Owings. Unless we'd rather go with the leadoff hitter Jon Jay (who is older), who had a hot spell, then a cold spell, and now appears to be hitting again.

Souza is not the first D-backs power hitter who has underperformed this season. Look at Goldy and Avila during the first half. And you never know what you are going to get from Lamb.

I have come to realize that the problem was the coaching staff and their obsession with "lift" -- uppercutting every pitch. It works only if you do not try to hit each one out of the park.

Picture you dropping a baseball while standing on a chair and me trying to hit is smack in the middle. It defies the laws of nature. So is swinging vertically at a ball pitched horizontally -- "lift". Souza is one of many victims of it on the D-backs.

We have so much potential in the heart of our batting order this season if only the coaches would let the hitters use common sense when batting.

I love C.O. - defensively... but yea, he's just as bad as Souza at the plate. The reality is of course, that aside from Goldy and Peralta to a lesser extent, and maybe AJ if he can remain healthy, we literally have nothing else to legitimately offer at the plate! Marte and Ahmed are inconsistent at best. Lamb simply can not hit lefties... Our catcher position is essentially an automatic out.

 

[UncleChris]

Three of our sluggers who were on the DL, as well as some pitchers and Goldy and Avila returning from their half-season hitting problems are finally back together and looking good, and you're giving up after just a few days of being almost at full strength?

They were indeed mediocre for the first half of the season and somehow held on to 1st place. And now, because a 20-run game was followed by an extra inning loss, you're still calling them mediocre? Really?

Personally, I can't understand how a D-backs fan could put that in writing at this time. We are just starting the road back to a full active roster.

Consider that Pollock and Corbin will probably not be with us next season. Man, if there is time to show hope in our team, it is right now. This season. In the words of Tug McGraw, "Ya gotta believe." Or not. I believe!

Maybe.

 

[BC867]

Our catcher position is essentially an automatic out.

It looks like Avila is swinging with authority now. And Murphy has been hitting decently all season. So I wouldn't call either of them automatic outs.

Mathis comes the closest, but even he hit two doubles in the extra inning game. And he is now the designated Catcher for two of our five starting Pitchers, like it or not.

I guess we could honor that with Peralta, Goldy, Lamb and Pollock in the heart of the order. Especially if Souza hits like he did last year. (OK, I am not so sure about Lamb, following his 2nd half swoons the second half of the last two seasons.)

And if only they would platoon Ahmed at SS, starting strictly against LH pitchers, with Descalso playing 2B against righties and Marte moving to SS.