The second half begins

Okay, Diamondbacks, go get 'em! The second half of the 2012 MLB season gets under way tomorrow as the teams return to action.

With a pretty dull all star game in the books, the major league teams can now focus on their respective pennant races. As for the D'backs, they need to get off to a good start with a three-game series in Chicago with the Cubs and then another series in Cincinnati with the Reds. First baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who leads the Diamondbacks with a .302 batting average, needs a dynamite second half as does Juston Upton, Jason Kubel and Miguel Montero. The pitching staff now has its fifth starter in Trevor Bauer. Let's see  where the young man takes the D'backs and we should keep an eye on Josh Collmenter. He could be a big help down the stretch.

The pitching is iffy, and the bats seem to come and go, but hopefully, the Diamondbacks (42-43) can get it going, reach the .500 mark and then start adding victories to the win column. Look for Stephen Drew and Chris Young to start getting wood on the ball. Both of those players will need to be productive down the stretch. I have a feeling the powers-to-be may come up with a trade or two in the coming weeks in hopes of bolstering the Diamondbacks' roster.