Chris Young has been really hitting the ball hard in the 2nd half of the season.  In 38 games since the All-Star Game, Young is 38 for 155 (.245 avg, .860 OPS) with 30 runs scored, 13 homers, 16 RBIs and 12 stolen bases.  Young is an impressive young played and he’s a big reason with the Diamondbacks are so hot right now.  He has now played in 115 games this season and he is 105 for 443 (.237 avg, .759 OPS) with 68 runs scored, 26 homers, 47 RBIs and 21 stolen bases.

The Diamondbacks have acquired 23 year old righty starting pitcher Emiliano Fruto from the Nationals for 25 year old first baseman Chris Carter.  Fruto has great stuff but he has had problems getting results and that will be up to the pitching coaches in the Diamondbacks system.  In AAA ball this season Fruto is 3-9 with a 5.26 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP in 18 games (16 starts).  He has worked 87.1 innings this season and he has allowed 78 hits, walked 59 batters and whiffed 68.  The D-Backs will have something if they can teach Fruto how to throw more strikes.  He has pitched in 23 major league games in his career and he is 2-2 with 1 save, a 5.50 ERA and a 1.61 WHIP.  Losing Carter could hurt the D-Backs in the future if he lives up to his ability.  He played in 126 AAA games for the D-Backs this season and he was 163 for 503 (.324 avg, .904 OPS) with 74 runs scored, 18 homers and 84 RBIs.

Brandon Webb hasn’t allowed a run in 42 consecutive innings after blanking the Atlanta Braves last night.  It was his third consecutive complete game shutout!  In his last 5 starts Webb has worked 41 innings and he has allowed 23 hits, walked 7 batters and whiffed 35 while allowing ZERO runs!   Webb now has Orel Hershiser’s all-time record in his sights.  In 1988 Hershiser was pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers and he threw an incredible 59 straight scoreless innings.  Still, Webb has 17 more innings to go and that will not be easy as his next start is against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Webb has been the ace of the Diamondbacks staff despite the additions of Randy Johnson and Doug Davis in the off-season.  He has started 26 games this season and he is 13-8 with a 2.63 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP.  In 184.2 innings this season he has allowed 159 hits, walked 57 batters and whiffed 161.

Wow.  That didn’t last too long!  The Diamondbacks saw Joe Kennedy 3 times and Byung-Hyun Kim twice and they saw enough of them to know that they didn’t want either of them around any more.  Kennedy pitched in 3 games for the Diamondbacks and he was 0-0 with a 20.25 ERA and a 2.25 WHIP.  He worked 2.2 innings for the D-Backs and he allowed 4 hits, hit 4 batters, walked 2 and whiffed 1.  Byung-Hyun Kim started 2 games and he was 0-1 with a 23.62 ERA and a 4.87 WHIP.  He only lasted 2.2 innings in his starts and he allowed a whopping 11 hits, 9 runs (7 earned), walked 2 batters and whiffed 3.  These moves are addition by subtraction for the D-Backs.

The Diamondbacks have placed Chad Tracy on the 15-day disabled list with a sore right knee.   Tracy has had a rough season because he has been banged up almost the whole way.  He has played in 75 games this season and he is 59 for 226 (.261 avg, .795 OPS) with 30 runs scored, 7 homers and 34 RBIs.  Lucky for the D-Backs that they have rookie Mark Reynolds to again turn to.   Reynolds has played in 73 games this season and he is 67 for 238 (.282 avg, .825 OPS) with 40 runs scored, 9 homers and 41 RBIs.  Reynolds does have to work on making a little better contact at the plate as he has already whiffed 80 times this season.