Diamondbacks Finish Woeful Road Trip

After a 4-2 home stand to begin the 2010 season the Diamondbacks left the confines of Chase Field for a six-game road trip featuring three games against the Los Angeles Dodgers followed by three games against the San Diego Padres.

Hopes were flying high especially given the struggles both the Dodgers and the Padres have had to begin the season. In almost a perfect storm, the Diamondbacks find themselves flying back to Phoenix having gone 1-5 on the road trip.

It would be one thing if the team had been outplayed during this road trip but with the exception of Saturday’s 5-0 loss to the Padres the Diamondbacks had the lead late in the game. If the bullpen or the offense would have come through Arizona could have found itself returning to Chase Field with a 5-1 record.

While much of the negative press has pointed to the ineffectiveness of the bullpen to maintain a lead there are equal parts blame that could be placed on the defense who committed errors at the most inopportune time and the offense which seemed to turn on and off like a faucet.

To many fans who followed the team in 2009 this season is beginning to look an awful lot like last year and last year with the third worst season in franchise history.

While everyone is hopefully that things will turn around once the team gets back to Chase Field the schedule suggests it is going to be a very long week. The St. Louis Cardinals come to town to begin the road trip then after an off-day the National League Champion Philadelphia Phillies come to town.

If the Diamondbacks continue to struggle as they have lately they could very well find themselves having to dig out of a very deep hole. It was exactly this kind of start last season that cost manager Bob Melvin his job.

It is premature to begin an AJ Hinch death watch but the fans in Arizona are likely to have very little patience for a long losing streak that takes them out of contention early in the year. If that happens look for huge fire sale to begin well before the trading deadline.