Arizona Diamondbacks: Losing Games While Pitching Struggles

Had a rough week? The Arizona Diamondbacks certainly know how you feel, as they are not doing too good in the current nine-game road trip.

After taking two of three from the hot Athletics, Arizona promptly got swept by the Minnesota Twins. After a long, slow plane ride from Minneapolis to Boston, Arizona finally got the win they were looking for; 2-1 over the Red Sox. That good feeling didn't last long, though, as the next two games were lost by a combined score of 10-4.

During this recent poor stretch we saw Brandon Webb's ERA balloon to 3.23. He is still tied for the lead in MLB for wins, though.

A bigger problem than Webb's struggles, however, is the losing skid the Big Unit is falling down. He has lost five straight with an ERA of 6.53 during that stretch. Ouch. It seems the Big Unit is having a Big Power Outage.

I don't blame the Diamondbacks for being blanked against Tim Wakefield on Wednesday. He has some wicked stuff. He may not throw fast—at all—but he gets the job done. His legendary knuckle ball usually travels at a velocity of 65-75 miles per hour, while his curve ball has been clocked at 55. It's a wonder Arizona even got the two hits Wakefield allowed them.

To prepare for the game on Wednesday Arizona manager Bob Melvin had television analyst and former MLB knuckleballer Tom Candiotti throw batting practice. I guess it didn't do much in preparing for 41 year-old Wakefield.

Arizona will now complete their lengthy road trip by traveling to Florida for a three game weekend stand against the Marlins. The Diamondbacks will have the luxury of starting their top three pitchers while not having to face Florida's ace.

Micah Owings will take the mound on Friday, Brandon Webb on Saturday, and Dan Haren on Sunday.

The surprising thing about this poor road trip is that Arizona still leads the division by 3.5 games. The Los Angeles Dodgers have played well lately, but haven't gained any real ground in the NL West.

After the three game set against Florida, the Diamondbacks will return home for a relatively easy home stand.