Sports360AZ
It’s no secret that the Diamondbacks are scuffling right now.
They’ve lost six straight, and eight of their last nine, one game into a crucial four-game series against the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers at home.
Would I be wrong in saying that this isn’t the way you want to roll into the All-Star break?
Things have been testy between outfielder Justin Upton and Diamondbacks fans for a great majority of the season, for the most part due to his lack of hitting.
Things came to an ugly head on Wednesday night, after Upton went 0-5 against the Padres. The fans gave him a major ear full throughout the game and afterwards, to which Upton replied in this manner:
“You know what? To be honest with you, I don’t care anything about what the fans think of me,” he said.
Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson defended Upton on Thursday, citing his work ethic and how he responds when things don’t work the way they should.
“Obviously he [Upton] cares, if he didn’t care, he wouldn’t be working right now,” Gibson said. “When things go awry, he’s stayed with it and played the game very well.”
Gibson understands what Upton is going through. He said as a player, he was booed quite a few times, by both his home fans and his fans on the road, and he said it hurt him.
Pitcher Trevor Bauer has had quite an introduction to the Major Leagues, especially this past Tuesday night against the Padres.
San Diego touched Bauer for six earned runs over 3 1/3 innings, as he suffered his first loss since being put in the starting rotation.
Bauer has a 9.82 ERA in his two starts.
Is it a question of Bauer changing some things in his routine in order to get on track? Gibson tends to think so, with a caveat.
“He’s gonna change,” Gibson said. “We’re trying to get to get to know each other, it’s normal.”
Gibson says Bauer is “unconventional” in some of his methods, but nothing too drastic that needs to be scaled back before his next start.
“We’re not gonna sit him down after two starts and say ‘We want you to do this, and this and this,’ it’s a process.”
Gibson did however say, in no uncertain terms, that Bauer has to get it together.
“If he continues to have bad results, he will change, if not he won’t be here,” Gibson said.
