D'Backs take a note from music industry

Baseball Betting Lines

08/27/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Singer/songwriter James Taylor recommends it, and the Beatles explain how reluctant they were at one point in reaching out for it.

Right now, the Arizona Diamondbacks are getting a lot of it to maintain their lead in the National League West standings. Help has been a vital factor in keeping the Diamondbacks atop the division standings despite having lost three straight and four of their last five games.

Help is the only reason why the Los Angeles Dodgers are three games off the pace in the standings and not ahead or tied. The D'Backs can send thank you cards to the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals for their succor in keeping Los Angeles out of the win column lately. The Phillies swept LA in four games at home before the Nationals beat the Dodgers in the opener of a three-game series in D.C.

Much like how the Beatles said they never required help in any way during the younger years, Bob Melvin's club could have expressed resembling sentiments in the early stages of the season.

At one point the Diamondbacks didn't need assistance from around the league because they had a seemingly-comfortable grasp on the NL West. But now these days are gone, and the current leaders of the division can not be feeling so self assured. So in order to get Arizona's feet back on the ground, help must be attained from everywhere, including the bat boy, rival teams, vendors and non-division opponents. Starting pitchers Brandon Webb, Randy Johnson and Dan Haren haven't been lights-out on the mound lately, putting much of the pressure on an offense that hasn't scored more than two runs in each of the previous three games.

Webb, who is tied for the major league lead with 19 wins this season, had his eight-game winning streak stopped Tuesday against San Diego. Webb has one more chance to record his 20th victory before September, and if successful, will become just the sixth different pitcher to do that since 1990. Other pitchers who have accomplished the feat are Bob Welch ('90), Roger Clemens ('90 and '97), Jack McDowell ('93), John Smoltz ('96) and Curt Schilling (2002).

Webb is expected to pitch in an upcoming three-game series versus the rival Dodgers that begins Friday at Chase Field.

Don't look now, though, but someone must have summoned the dead because the Colorado Rockies are only six games behind the top two teams in the division thanks to four straight wins and eight victories over their previous 10 contests.

The Rockies were in a similar situation a year ago en route to a National League title and their first-ever World Series appearance. History is on the verge of repeating itself if the Rockies can dip some more in the help pool, and if the Diamondbacks and Dodgers keep slipping up.

BIG UNIT STILL CHASING 300

Arizona left-hander Randy Johnson will try to inch closer to the 300-win club when he takes the mound on Wednesday against the Padres at Petco Park. Johnson is 1-2 with a subpar 2.63 earned run average over his last four starts since ripping off five consecutive wins.

Johnson had a solid outing his last time out on August 22 versus the Florida Marlins, as he allowed three runs -- one earned -- and five hits in seven innings of a 5-4 loss for the no-decision. Johnson, who is sitting on 294 career wins, has pitched at least six innings nine straight times and is trying to become the 24th member of the elite 300-wins club.

The southpaw, who turns 45 early next month, is 10-9 with a 4.03 ERA in 24 starts this season. Johnson is also in the final year of a two-year contract extension that he signed before the start of the 2007 campaign.

WHO'S HOT

Injured outfielder Justin Upton, on the disabled list since early July with an oblique strain, has been doing well for Triple-A Tucson in a rehab assignment. Upton has 11 homers and 31 RBI this season, and was riding a six-game hitting streak before getting hurt.

Upton is batting .275 with three home runs and nine RBI in 13 rehab games for the Sidewinders.

New outfielder Adam Dunn walked three times and posted a hit in Tuesday's loss at San Diego. Dunn has reached base in 12 of his 14 games with the D-backs, with two homers and nine runs batted in over that stretch.

Starting pitcher Yusmeiro Petit, who is expected to have his next scheduled outing skipped, has won back-to-back starts and three of his previous five decisions. Petit owns a 2.08 earned run average through his past two trips to the mound.

WHO'S NOT

D'Backs closer Brandon Lyon has given up 10 earned runs over his last 5 1/3 innings (six games), with just one save over that span. Lyon, who has converted 25 of his 30 save opportunities this season, owns a 12.75 ERA in 13 trips to the hill since the All-Star break.

ON DECK

After Arizona wraps up a three-game set with San Diego at Petco Park, it will return home for three games against both Los Angeles and St. Louis at Chase Field. The D'Backs obviously can either distance themselves or lose ground in the NL West division if they fail to win that series with LA.

With Webb, Haren and Doug Davis on the upcoming pitching slate against the Dodgers, Melvin should be able to rest a bit easier.