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After a magical run to the World Series, the Diamondbacks’ 2024 season has gotten off to a rocky start, hampered by injuries and offensive inconsistencies.
However, over the past 7 games or so, things have started to trend in the right direction, with the Diamondbacks now just three-games below .500 and just two games out of a Wild Card spot in the National League.
Recently, Arizona embarked on a four-game winning streak, their longest of the season. This included a sweep over the Cincinnati Reds and a big win over the San Diego Padres.
While the Diamondbacks did have their win streak snapped by a pair of losses against the Baltimore Orioles, who hold the 2nd best record in Major League Baseball, Arizona managed to salvage a win to end the series. They exited Baltimore with a +4 run differential as both of their losses against the O’s were by two runs or fewer.
Ahead of the D-backs series against the Reds, which started on Monday back at Chase Field, Torey Lovullo spoke on what he has seen from his ballclub over the past week. More particularly, what he has been encouraged by.
Lovullo noted, ” I see a focused baseball team. I see a team that’s out there playing fast, smart baseball.” Lovullo also acknowledged his pitchers attacking the zone. The Diamondbacks were once in the bottom-five in terms of walks allowed, they are now 20th.
Expanding on the D-backs pair of losses against the Orioles, Lovullo, after pointing out that of course, he hates losing, emphasized that it wasn’t self-inflicted errors but the sheer performance of the opposition:
“We lost a baseball game, and it stinks, I hate losing a baseball game, but the other team beat us, the D-backs did not beat us.”
Lovullo ended with, “I think we are trending in a very positive direction.”
More must-reads:
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- The 'Multiple 100-RBI MLB seasons' quiz
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This New York Yankees Prospect is Absolutely Scorching at the Plate
New York Yankees top prospect Spencer Jones is absolutely scorching hot at the plate right now, as he's hit three home runs in the first five innings on Thursday for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders. With 29 home runs, Jones now has the minor league lead in home runs. He's played only 67 games this season between Double-A and Triple-A, making his season even more impressive. He's hitting .308 for the season. SPENCER JONES THREE-HOMER GAME! and it's only the 5th lol The @Yankees prospect ties, takes and extends the MiLB HR lead with a big day for the @swbrailriders. He has 29 this season. Ranked as the No. 4 prospect in the organization by MLB Pipeline, Jones is an interesting conversation point for the Yankees right now. Do they bring him up to the big leagues and let him try to help a team that has fallen to four games back in the American League East? Do they let him stay in Triple-A, where he's only played 18 games, and continue to develop? Do they include him in a trade at the deadline in order to go get help for the MLB roster? Or, do they make him off-limits in any talks? It's all part of the calculus for general manager Brian Cashman as the deadline looms on July 31. The Yankees are off on Thursday but they will resume play on Friday night against the Philadelphia Phillies at home. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. ET as Ranger Suarez (PHI) pitches against Will Warren (NYY). Related MLB Stories DOMINANT OUTING: Cristopher Sanchez threw a complete-game against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night, making rare history among Phillies lefties. CLICK HERE: 20/30 ONCE AGAIN: Jose Ramirez just keeps doing things that no player in Cleveland history has ever done. CLICK HERE: TURNING DOWN AN OFFER: According to reports, D-backs star Corbin Carroll will not play for Taiwan at the World Baseball Classic. CLICK HERE:
Canucks continue talks with Jack Roslovic, his ask poses problems
A team that has gone through several changes already this summer, the Vancouver Canucks remain active, currently engaged in discussions with unrestricted free agent forward Jack Roslovic. According to reports from Rick Dhaliwal and Cam Robinson, the organization has spoken to Roslovic on several occasions and are still interested in potentially signing him to a free agency deal. Roslovic posted 39 points in 81 games for the Carolina Hurricanes in 2024-25. He is reportedly seeking a two- or three-year deal worth just over $3 million annually. Roslovic could be a solid middle-six contributor for an NHL team, but there is some concern over whether he’s a needle mover. He could be a solution for Canucks, who need a true third-line center, but some wonder if he’s the best place to be using the little cap flexibility Vancouver has. A Roslovic signing would take up much of the $3.2 million available to add to the roster. Can the Canucks work the math out on Roslovic? At this stage of free agency, it’s about finding value in overlooked talent. Roslovic likely won’t be a dynamic top producer, but he has value. The question is if Vancouver can make the math work. He could provide reliable depth scoring, but is that where the money should go? Some believe the Canucks would be better served by taking a bigger swing. On his own, Roslovic likely doesn’t move the Canucks into contender status.
The harsh truth Terry McLaurin needs to hear about his Commanders holdout
The Washington Commanders should pay Terry McLaurin. That much goes without saying. He's a second-team All-Pro. He caught 13 touchdowns last year and has eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in each of his past five seasons. McLaurin is a top 10 receiver in the NFL, perhaps even bordering on top five. More important than any of those things? He's one of Washington's most trusted leaders on and off the field. McLaurin is also, as it currently stands, not acting like it. The two-time Pro Bowler is creating a distraction that is officially more trouble than it's worth for the Commanders, and it's time for him to suck it up and end this standoff. Like it or not, the Commanders aren't responsible for Terry McLaurin's availability Let's make this clear: McLaurin isn't holding out of camp because he has to. He is choosing to leverage his position for a new deal. It's not the first time, and it won't be the last, that an NFL player resorts to such a negotiating tactic. It's also a move that rightfully doesn't sit well with many fans, especially for a member of a team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. McLaurin's teammates and coaching staff are all counting on him being a major part of this Commanders squad. Washington traded for Deebo Samuel Sr. this offseason in large part specifically to make his life easier. For the first time in his career, the former third-round pick has a true No. 2 option on the opposite side of the field who can draw defenses away. Missing OTAs and mandatory minicamp is one thing for a player in McLaurin's position, but training camp is the unofficial start of the new school year. It's time to get to work. There's still a full eight months between now and when McLaurin is set to hit free agency. An extension can be worked out at any point before next March. If he builds upon last year's success, he could even raise his value. Regardless, the bottom line is that McLaurin is under contract to play football for the Commanders during the 2025 season. And plenty of other Washington stars over the years have had no problem suiting up on expiring deals. Kirk Cousins infamously played through two franchise tags after negotiations were botched on a long-term extension. He never once threatened to sit out. There is a certain duty any player owes not to let his demands come at the cost of the team, and it's disappointing to see this approach taken by someone who all of Washington thought was well aware of that. McLaurin deserves his money. He deserves at least $30 million per year. But the Commanders deserve for him to start showing up to work, with or without a new contract. More Commanders news and analysis
NY Giants Training Camp Day 2 Practice Report: Receivers on Display
All eyes continue to be on New York Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, who continues to acclimate to life in the NFL. Over the past two days, Dart’s has had a mix of ups and downs, some of which were not necessarily his fault. Regardless of who was at fault, head coach Brian Daboll, who has used every play as a teaching moment for the young rookie, has been pleased with Dart's response. “Every play, you have something to teach a player, correct a player on," Daboll said. “So, to get into every detail of every play, 'You should have done this. You should have done this.’ It happens for every position. “You go to the meeting room, you watch the tape, coach up, ‘Hey, this is what you could have done differently,’ and then you go on to the next play.” On Day 2 of training camp, Dart, continuing to share second-team reps with Jameis Winston, had another up-and-down day. Unofficially, he was 4-of-8, with one touchdown (Jalin Hyatt) and one interception (Tre Hawkins III). Dart was also “sacked” twice, including once on a corner blitz by Nic Jones, who continues to have a solid camp. He also had one pass that just went off the fingertips of running back Dante Miller. So far, though, Daboll has been pleased with how Dart has responded following a negative play. “Absolutely, yeah. I mean, we're talking about practice here, so that's what those are for. He's going to make those mistakes,” Daboll said. “Everybody's going to make them. There are plenty of other mistakes that happened, and there are plenty of good things. He did a good job coming back. You don't want to throw picks, but that's why we're practicing.” Camp Observations The focus of today’s practice was the high red zone. There were also 1-on-1s. I mentioned the unofficial stats for Dart, but before I give you the other quarterbacks’ stats, a couple of things I noticed with him is that when he’s under the slightest bit of duress, instead of using instinct or feel to avoid the rush and keep his eyes downfield, he appears to focus on the rush around him as he attempts to escape. By taking his eyes off where his receivers are down the field, he tends to lose track of them, and the ball ends up being either overthrown or thrown short of its intended target. That could be why some of his passes seem to be delivered late. This play here on play-action was probably his best throw of the day. Wan’Dale Robinson had the catch of the day, making a diving catch against slot cornerback Dru Phillips, who was in close coverage. I’m still not sure how Robinson came up with the ball, thrown by Russell Wilson. Not to be outdone, Phillips later picked off a pass intended for Robinson, on what I had as Wilson’s only interception of the day. Speaking of Wilson, I had him 7-of-13, with three touchdowns (two to Robinson, one to Malik Nabers), and one interception, along with one drop (Nabers). He was also pressured by Kayvon Thibodeaux, who continues to get the better of left tackle James Hudson III. I had Thibodeaux down for four pressures today. Jameis Winston was three of three, his best pass of the day a strike to tight end Greg Dulcich (who had two touchdown receptions on the day) in the corner of the end zone in tight coverage. The offense ran the ball frequently with Winston under center, which is why there were low pass attempts. Another of his pass attempts went to rookie running back Cam Skattebo, who continues to impress with his soft hands and smooth transition into his runs after catching the ball. Speaking of Skattebo, there’s a lot to like about how when he carries the ball, he squares his shoulders, runs with two hands on the ball, and just plows through traffic. Some running backs will leave an arm free for balance, but Skattebo just has tremendous balance when he runs with both hands on the ball. Tommy Devito only threw three passes, completing one. He overthrew on all three, but the one he connected with was to Dalen Cambre, who had TJ Moore and K’Von Wallace in coverage. Dulcich did some work as a fullback on the running plays. Abdul Carter continued to look like he was shot out of a cannon with that lightning first step. This defensive pass rush, which has done a little bit more blitzing so far this year, is going to be a handful indeed. The defense was a little sloppy today. There were at least three times when they jumped offside in anticipation of the ball being snapped. We didn’t see much of that on Day 1, so it’s certainly something they’ll look to clean up. In the 1-on-1s, the highlights included Malik Nabers putting a nice spin move on Tyler Nuboin for a touchdown catch, and a sliding reception by receiver Montrell Washington against cornerback T.J. Moore. What happens next with the NY Giants? Find out! Follow and like us on Facebook. Visit our YouTube channelfor the latest videos. Want to send a question in for our mailbag? You can do so here.
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