TOTS don't seem to mind the heat

TOTS Senior Baseball Network

60-and-over baseball


The temperature in the Old Pueblo reached 103 today. It might have been a bit cooler at game time, but still...it's darn hot if you're a 60-and-over baseball player.

It didn't matter as the boys of summer flocked to Udall Park this morning -- 25 players played today and another six or seven were on hand, but couldn't participate due to one injury or another.

The whole scenario reminds me of a scene from the movie, Field of Dreams when the voice bellows, "build it and they will come."

The starting pitcher for Team Blue today was 84-year-old Billy Heiny.

The starting pitcher for Team White was 76-year-old Bobby Royer.

They both went the distance and the game ended in a tie at 5-5, another one of those "kiss your sister" games.

It looked like Team Blue was on their way to victory in the top of the sixth and final inning of the day when Pistol Pete Peters and Smilin' Mike Steele ripped back to back doubles to give the visiting team a  5-4 lead.

Team Blue came to bat needing two runs to win the game. They got one run on a two-out double to right field by Chico Bigham, but couldn't score the game winner.

The boys of summer headed home and turned on the air conditioning. The TOTS will be back at on Wednesday. You can count on that.

Diamondbacks take 2 of 3 from Padres

Arizona Diamondbacks


The Arizona Diamondbacks (35-49) won the first two games in San Diego and for one fleeting moment they were out of the cellar. Today the D'backs lost the getaway game, 2-1. The Diamondbacks collect just five hits off the Padres' pitching staff, while San Diego won the game despite just four hits -- three off Arizona's starter Mike Bolsinger (1-4).

It's on to Pittsburgh and a three-game series with the Pirates.

Nick Johnson heading for the Houston Rockets

2014 NBA Draft


Nick Johnson, shooting guard from the Arizona Wildcats, was selected tonight as the 42nd pick in the second round of the NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets.

Congrats, Nick!

Gordon selected 4th in 1st round of NBA Draft

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


Former Wildcat Aaron Gordon selected fourth in the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic.

Way to go, Aaron!

USA makes it to the round of 16 at World Cup

World Cup


Germany 1  USA 0

USA record 1-1-1

Qualify for the knockout round of 16

Possible matchup on Tuesday against Belgium
with the winner advancing to the quarterfinals.

Go, USA!

Diamondbacks get just five hits in loss to Indians

Arizona Diamondbacks


The Arizona Diamondbacks are officially at the midpoint of their season.

That's 81 games in the books and the D'backs are a dismal 33-48, including the 6-1 loss to the Cleveland Indians last night at Chase Field in the final game of a short two-game series between the two teams.

The Diamondbacks collect just five hits last night and fail to put runs on the scoreboard for their rookie pitcher Chase Anderson, who falls to 5-3 after starting the season with five straight wins.

Vandy wins College World Series

College World Series


Vanderbilt beat Virginia 3-2 in the championship game of the NCAA World Series in Omaha tonight. John Norwood provided the game winner in the eighth inning with 350-foot solo home run.

Congrats, Vandy. You earned it.

It takes five hours, 32 minutes but D'backs win

Arizona Diamondbacks


Nothing is ever easy for the Arizona Diamondbacks.


Arizona wins 9-8 in 14 innings last night at Chase Field as Aaron Hill provides the walk-off single and the Diamondbacks take down the Indians in the first game of a two-game home stand against Cleveland.

The game lasted five hours and 32 minutes -- matching the longest game in the history of the Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

Josh Collmenter (6-4) gets the win in relief as the Diamondbacks pound out 19 hits -- four of those hits coming from Ender Inciarte and five from Gerardo Parra.

Arizona improves to 33-47.

USA 2 Portugal 2

World Cup


USA  2  Portugal  2

Goals: Jones and Dempsey

USA 1-0-1 Next Up: Germany on Thursday

Giants take 2 of 3 from Diamondbacks

Arizona Diamondbacks


Losses continue to mount up on the Arizona Diamondbacks as they drop 2 of 3 at Chase Field to San Francisco -- including a 4-1 thumping today.

The Diamondbacks get just three hits in today's game -- singles by Ender Inciarte, Martin Prado and Cody Ross and fall to 32-47. The Giants continue to lead the National League West with a 45-30 record.

Soccer takes center stage

World Cup



I'm an old baseball player, so it takes me some time to focus on soccer.

Now is the time.

The United States men's team will take on Portugal in the Word Cup today. They will go up against arguably the best player in the World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo, although he has been hampered by tendinitis and a muscle injury.

The U.S. will counter with Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey and goaltender Tim Howard, but will take the field without one of their star players, Jozy Altidore.

The United States men's team beat Ghana 2-1 in their Wold Cup opener last week and would make a lot of soccer fans back in the states happy with a win. With a victory over Portugal, the U.S. would automatically advance to the next round.

Good luck, USA!

Some things never change

TOTS Senior Baseball Network

60-an-over baseball

Baseball is sill a big part of my life.

On a typical weekday morning in Tucson sixty years ago, I woke up as the rays of the sun broke  through my bedroom window. I was all of nine years old with one thought on my mind for the day: play baseball.

I knew where to go to find a game. The only question I had in my head: Would there by enough players or would it be another game of workups -- you know the game, a pitcher, a couple of infielders and maybe an outfielder or two?

Chances are the gathering of players -- some younger and some older -- didn't have the luxury of a catcher behind the plate, which made it tough on the batter -- especially if he was to foul off the pitch. More times than not there was just one ball...maybe two, lose one or both and we'd be in trouble.

There was no club ball -- only Little League, but "sandlot" ball was every day. A quick bowl of Wheaties and it was off to the local park for a day of baseball. Sure, my parents tried their hardest to get me involved in other things -- playing the clarinet, trying out for the Tucson Boys Chorus and dancing at something called Tucson Junior Assembly where you learned how to hold a knife and a fork, be pleasant to the opposite sex and, of course, dance the foxtrot.

I, by the way, threw the clarinet in the closet and I couldn't sing, period. I did learn how to dance and I can hold a fork and a knife with the best of them, but it was baseball that held my interest day in and day out.

So, after a bowl of cereal and a glass of orange juice, I was off to the ball park, equipped with my Louisville Slugger and my freshly-oiled mitt. I'd be the first player at the field. I'd sit in the bleachers and I'd eye every street, awaiting for someone to show up. I'd smile as the players arrived...one, two, three, four...and sometimes more, and suddenly, the hours would fly by.

There were no batting cages, no ex-pro on hand to give instructions...just the fellas, the ball and the bat.

Some things never change.

This morning I woke up. For a few minutes, I listened to the birds sing outside my bedroom window and then I slowly got out of bed, My neck ached, my back ached, but I seemed to be intact. My 69-year-old body was up for the day.

I quickly made myself a bowl of cereal and poured myself a glass of orange juice. I kept an eye on the clock. In less than an hour I'd be at the ball park...awaiting my teammates and another morning of baseball with the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers.

In less than an hour I'd be in the dugout with my eye on the parking lot. Soon they would come, one after another...10...20 or more. They'd all grab their bat bags and head for the field at Udall Park...another day of baseball.

Yep! Some things never change.

Photo: The author, a member of the TOTS.

Diamondbacks lose 3 of 4 to Brewers

Arizona Diamondbacks


The Arizona Diamondbacks have the worse record in the National League.

Worse than the Cubbies?

Yep!

The D'backs lose 3 of 4 to the Milwaukee Brewers -- including today's 4-1 loss at Chase Field in the final game of the series and fall to 31-45 on the season. The Chicago Cubs are 30-40.

Tampa Bay owns the worst record in the American League and, for the moment, own the worst record in the majors at 29-45.

Today, it was more of the same at Chase Field. Chase Anderson (5-2) loses his second game of the year as the Diamondbacks fail to get him any runs. Anderson took a no-hitter into the fifth! The rookie went six innings -- allowing five hits and two earned runs. He struck out four and didn't walk a batter.

By the way, the league-leading San Francisco Giants (43-29) are in town, beginning tomorrow night.

World Cup...USA 2 Ghana 1

World Cup

USA 2  Ghana  1

Goals: USA  Dempsey and Brooks

Way to go, USA!

Spurs win 5th NBA title

NBA Finals


The San Antonio Spurs won their 5th NBA title tonight behind a 22-point, 10 rebound performance from Kawhi Leonard and defeated the Miami Heat 104-87. It took the Spurs just five games to bring home the prize, winning four of the five games -- including the clincher this evening at home in front of the San Antonio fans.

Lebron James led the Heat with 31 points and 10 rebounds.

Goldy hits his 15th homer as D'backs win getaway game

Arizona Diamondbacks


Brandon Arroyo (7-4) wins his seventh game of the year and Paul Goldschmidt hits his 15th homer of the season as Arizona (30-42) salvages the getaway game in Los Angeles today 6-3 over the Dodgers.

Goldschmidt's solo shot gives him 51 RBI on the season. Goldy also scored his 51st and 52nd run of the year.

Arroyo pitched five innings and allowed five hits. He walked one and struck out one.

Arizona returns home for a nine-game home stand, beginning tomorrow night with the first of four games with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Goldy's numbers keep adding up

Arizona Diamondbacks

Paul Goldschmidt continues to produce.

Arizona (29-42) lost again last night in Los Angeles as the Dodgers prevail 6-4, despite another home run from Goldy. The three-game series ends today with Bronson Arroyo (6-4) taking the mound for the Diamondbacks.

Goldschmidt hit his 14th home run of the season last night and now has 50 RBI and has scored 50 runs while maintaining a .309 batting average. He leads the National League in hits with 85 and in doubles with 27. That's 41 extra base hits and we're still in the month of June.

What a baseball player!

Keep it up, Goldy!

Anderson no longer unbeaten

Arizona Diamondbacks


Chase Anderson didn't get the run support this time.

The rookie goes five innings in Los Angeles last night as the Dodgers slip by the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-3. Anderson (5-1) loses for the first time this year. He gave up a two-run homer to Matt Kemp and that was it. Arizona (29-41) tried to rally with an RBI-double in the third inning by Aaron Hill and an RBI-single in the eighth by Tuffy Gosewich but it wasn't enough run production and the rookie's winning streak is over.

Clayton Kershaw (6-2) goes seven strong innings for the Dodgers and gets the win.

Anderson faces Kershaw

Arizona Diamondbacks


The Arizona Diamondbacks lose both games in Houston and end up 1-3 with the Astros.

Not good!

Arizona (29-40) heads for Los Angeles and a three-game series with the Dodgers, beginning tomorrow night as unbeaten Chase Anderson (5-0) clashes with the LA ace, Clayton Kershaw (5-2).

Spurs in control of series

NBA Finals


The San Antonio Spurs are one win away from an NBA title.

For the second game in a row, it is all Spurs as they roll over the Heat in Miami tonight and win Game 4 of the NBA Finals 107-86 to take a 3-1 advantage in the championship series.

Kawhi Leonard leads the way for the Spurs with 20 points and 14 rebounds, while LeBron James pumped in 28 for the Heat.

78-year-old celebrates birthday with 2 hits to left

TOTS Senior Baseball Network

60-and-over baseball

When a member of the Tucson Old Timers celebrates a birthday it's usually another milestone -- another chip in the armor, if you will. There are times the old timer celebrates his special day on the baseball field.

So it went for 78-year-old Carl Brutovsky (photo above) at Udall Park this morning.

Brutovsky was born 78 years ago today in Johnson City, New York. A switch hitter, Brutovsky has been a member of the TOTS since 1999 and can still get the bat on the ball. In fact, he's having a pretty good 2014 season with 44 hits in 118 trips to plate -- including two hits to left field today as he led Team White to an 8-7 win over Team Blue. That's a .372 batting average.

Quite a difference from last year. In 2013, Brutovsky played in  only 55 games and maintained a .177 batting average, but this season he's managed to stay off the disabled list and has played in 34 games and the club has yet to reach the halfway mark of the season. Carl took a spill at first base midway through the 2013 season and missed his share of games.

But this year no spills.

Congrats, Carl...and Happy Birthday!

Spurs turn down the Heat

NBA Finals


The San Antonio Spurs blistered the nets for 71 points in the first half and rolled to a 111-92 win over the Heat in Game 3 of the NBA Playoffs in Miami tonight.

Kawhi Leonard erupts for 29 points on a 10 for 13 shooting performance as the Spurs shoot 75.8 percent from the field in the first half and end up 38 for 64 (59.4 percent) for the game, while shooting 45 percent from three-point land -- hitting 9 of 20 attempts.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade chip in 22 points apiece, but it wasn't enough to offset the hot shooting from the Spurs.

Diamondbacks split with Astros

Arizona Diamondbacks


The Arizona Diamondbacks (29-38) beat the Astros at Chase Field today 4-1 and now head for Houston to complete the four-game series with games on Wednesday and Thursday. After losing the opener on Monday night 4-3, the Diamondbacks bounce back today as Paul Goldschmidt hits his 13th homer of the year in the first inning and Branson Arroyo goes (6-4) seven innings to earn his sixth win of the season.

Aaron Hill knocked in two runs with a sacrifice fly in the seventh and a run-scoring double in the eighth. Goldschmidt also doubled in the eighth inning -- his 25th two-bagger of the season and finished 2 for 3 for the day.

Brandon McCarthy (1-8) will try his luck in Houston as he takes the mound for the Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

Amazin' Aces get by Rattlers, 7-2

Southwest Old Timers Baseball League

60-and-over Aces


Pistol Pete Peters went 3 for 3 and drove in two runs and Pigpen Price went 2 for 3 and scored twice as the 60-and-over Aces knocked off the Arizona Rattlers 7-2 today at Udall Park.

It was the second win in a row for the Amazin' Aces as they improve to 4-3 in the Southwest Old Timers League. Chico Bigham went the distance for the Aces, allowing just five hits. He struck out one and didn't walk a batter.

The Rattlers took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when they used three of their five hits to score the run. Bigham kept them off balance at the plate the rest of the way, allowing just one unearned run and  two hits in the next five innings.

The Aces were solid in the field, committing just one error on the day.

The Amazin' Aces: C- Bob Daliege, P- Chico Bigham, 1B- Tim Tolson, 2B Pete Peters, 3B- Pigpen Price, SS- Lloyd Barzell, LF- Mike Steele, LC- Dennis Crowley, RC- Brain Reilly and RF- Billy Heiny.

Heat evens NBA series

NBA Finals

LeBron James pours in 35 points and grabs 10 rebounds as the Miami Heat win Game 2 of the NBA Finals in San Antonio tonight with a 98-96 win over the Spurs.

The Spurs were led by Tony Parker with 21.

The game was tied at the half 43-43. San Antonio led by one after three quarters, 78-77, and the Heat prevailed in the fourth quarter with James leading the way to even the series at one game apiece.

Anderson improves to 5-0

Arizona Diamondbacks


David Peralta hit a two-run homer -- his first in the major leagues and Paul Goldschmidt hit a two-run shot -- his 12th of the year as the Arizona Diamondbacks score six runs in the bottom of the seventh inning today and hand rookie Chase Anderson his fifth win of the year.

Anderson (5-0) goes seven innings, strikes out eight and Arizona turns a 2-0 deficit into a 6-2 lead. The D'backs got Anderson off the hook and then hold on to give him his victory.

Arizona improves to 28-37 on the year.

TOTS' hits record in jeopardy

TOTS Senior Baseball Network

60-and-over baseball

The TOTS' single-season hit record is in jeopardy.

The 60-and-over baseball organization has been around since 1968 and for the last 12 years the club statistician, Floyd Lance, has kept yearly stats. Before then monthly stats were kept.

Back in the "early days" it was hard for the players to reach 200 hits in a season. After all, the 60-and-over player needs a good 500 at bats to put himself in position to have a chance at the 200-hit club. Filter in injuries, the flu bug, family commitments -- well you name it, there are all kinds of reasons why the 60-and-over players fall short.

Three players have reached and surpassed 200 hits in a single season. The record is held by Chico Bigham. The 75-year-old Bigham is still at it and is one of five current players in line to break the record of 228 hits. Bigham set the record in 2005.

In 2014, it is evident the equipment is better and the old-timers are quicker and faster than ever before. In recent years, it is the young studs (ages 60 to 65) who are pounding the ball at an amazing clip. Bigham is trying to keep up. He's closing in on 100 hits as we near the halfway mark of the season -- which is the end of June.

Two young players -- Lloyd Barzell, 63,  and Pete Peters, 65 -- are hitting at a current clip which would put them over 250 hits by the end of the season. Barzell owns the second-best individual hit record at 219. He set his personal best in 2013 and is well over 100 hits this season, as is Peters, who came close in 2013 when he banged 187 hits around the confines of Udall Park -- good enough for fifth place on the all-time list.

Speedster Dennis Crowley, 64, is fourth in career hits for a single season with 189 hits. His personal best was set in 2012. Doc Thompson, 71, currently on the disabled list, is resting in third place on the all-time list with 209, set in 2009. Pigpen Price, who turns 69 in July, is sixth on the list with 186 hits, set in 2009.

Price, Bigham (above photo) and Crowley are knocking on the door at 100 hits for the season, but will have to turn on the afterburners to catch Barzell and Peters, who are the favorites to establish the new hits record.

But the baseball season for the TOTS is long. There's the long hot summer ahead, then fall and then winter. Anything can happen... and usually does.

The top ten all-time single-season hit leaders:  1) Chico Bigham- 228, 2) Lloyd Barzell- 219, 3) Doc Thompson- 209, 4) Dennis Crowley- 189, 5) Pete Peters- 187, 6) Pigpen Price- 186, 7) Ron Petersen- 185, 8) Denny Leonard- 185, 9) Ed Rife- 185, 10) Jerry Smarik- 177.

Anderson goes for 5th win today

Arizona Diamondbacks


Chase Anderson will take the mound for the Arizona Diamondbacks today.

Could the D'backs (27-37) win the three-game series with the Atlanta Braves and could Anderson throw a gem today? Anderson (4-0) seeks his fifth win of the season.

Arizona lost the opener at Chase Field on Friday, 5-2, and edged the Braves in walk-off fashion last night when Gerardo Parra singled in the game-winner in the 11th inning for a 4-3 win for the Diamondbacks.

Anderson enters the game with a 3.32 ERA and has 14 strikeouts in his four outings. He's walked six.

The Diamondbacks hit the ball and score a lot of runs when Anderson takes the mound. In Anderson's four starts, the D'backs have scored 39 runs.

Go get 'em, Chase.

Diamondbacks sweep Rockies

Arizona Diamondbacks


The Arizona Diamondbacks banged out 19 hits at Coors Field tonight and knocked off the Colorado Rockies 12-7 to sweep the three-game series in Denver.

Chris Owings went 3 for 5 -- including a two-run homer in the eighth inning, while Miguel Montero hit a solo shot in the third and Paul Goldschmidt drilled a solo shot in the fifth. Brandon Arroyo (5-4) pitched into the seventh inning and picked up the win.

Arizona improves to 26-36  and return home to face the Atlanta Braves in a three-game series.

Spurs use 31-9 spurt in 4th quarter to beat Miami

NBA Finals


Miami's LeBron James cramps up in the fourth quarter and San Antonio closes with a 31-9 spurt to derail the Heat 110-95 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Playing at home, the Spurs received a 21-point effort from Tim Duncan and 19 points from Tony Parker to take a 1-0 advantage in the best of seven series to determine the 2014 NBA champion. James played 33 minutes and scored 25 points and grabbed six rebounds before he exited the game in obvious pain.

Diamondbacks erupt, pound Rockies

Arizona Diamondbacks


The Arizona Diamondbacks (25-36) will go for  a sweep in Denver tomorrow.

Fresh off a 4-2 win in the opener on Tuesday over the Rockies, the Diamondbacks score 12 runs in the last three innings tonight and crush Colorado, 16-8. Arizona scored a lone run in the top of the seventh inning, add six runs in the eighth and five more in the ninth to send the Rockies (28-30) to their sixth straight loss.

On Tuesday, it was home runs by Nick Evans and Chris Owings igniting the Diamondbacks, and tonight, it was the first five hitters in the lineup supplying the punch. Didi Gregorius, Gerardo Parra, Paul Goldschmidt, Martin Prado and Miguel Montero collected three hits apiece. Arizona had 21 hits on the night. Montero drove in six runs and Goldschmidt knocked in four runs.

Goldy provided a go-ahead, three-run double in the eighth -- his 23rd two-base hit of the season, while Montero hit his sixth homer of the year -- a three-run shot in the ninth. The 21 hits by the Diamondbacks tied their season high.

Drifting leaves

TOTS Senior Baseball Network

60-and-over baseball

Baseball is a young man's game. No doubt about it.

Oh, we -- the senior, over 60 players -- kid ourselves into thinking we're young, but deep down, we know the clock is ticking, and are skills are leaving us, wavering...ready to blow away in the wind.

Yet, we still step to the plate and await the next pitch. For some of us on the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) -- the oldest organized baseball team in the country, we try desperately to make every play, throw out every player at first base, run down every fly ball in the outfield, and cradle the catch with a smile on our face.

We do this three days a week, 52 weeks out of the year, and some of us add a few more games to our yearly total by competing in the MABL/MSBL World Series in Phoenix every October -- a diehard TOT can play 175 games a year and step to the plate over 600 times.

Those are major-league numbers; although the players in the majors gain their totals in seven months, we do ours in 12.

Of course, being retired helps get those numbers up. Some members of the TOTS, the players between 60 and 65, are still working...still bringing home the dough, while most players sit back and get used to the fixed income.

If I didn't play ball and pound away on the computer with my daily writings, I'm still trying to figure out what I'd do with myself. I've left the fast-paced world behind. I leave all that hustle and bustle to my 50-something sons, who battle daily with mortgages, home repairs, college tuition...and the daily routine of getting up every morning and going to work.

At the age of 78, there is no longer a race against time. The clock on the nightstand no longer rattles at four in the morning. Instead, I awake every morning, read the paper, and begin my day. I'm no longer a bowling ball, rolling down the interstate -- heading for an eight, or nine...or ten-hour shift, instead: I'm more like a bunch of drifting leaves, bouncing around...looking to fill up all the hours in a day.

Being retired takes some getting used to, but as the years fly by, you get the hang of it and find ways to fill up the day. In my case, and most of my fellow teammates on the TOTS, we have baseball. My life started with baseball as a six-year-old, and the jury is still out on how long I will play the game. Will it be deep into my 80s...or 90s?

Like those drifting leaves, my teammates and I will rush to the ballpark and play for the "love of the game." We will continue to do so until the wind decides not to blow and the leaves lose their steam.

Until then, "Batter up!"

Photo: The author, Dan Price, retired and loving it.

Pistol Pete top TOTS' hitter in May

TOTS Senior Baseball Network

60-and-over baseball

Pistol Pete Peters collected 28 hits in 39 official trips to the plate and led the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) with a .718 batting average for the month of May. Peters, who played in all 11 games during the month, led the club in hits and in RBI with 23, while finishing third in runs scored with 18.

Close behind was  Lloyd "Baby Bull"  Barzell.  Barzell went 25 for 41 and finished the month with a  healthy .610 average, while tying Dennis Crowley for the most runs scored with 20.

Pigpen Price and Chico Bigham finished second and third, respectively, in the runs-batted-in category, Price with 13 and Bigham with 11.

Once again Bobby Katz led the club in walks with 10, while Bob Royer led the club in sacrifice bunts with two. Peters led the club in doubles with six and tied with Crowley and Bob Daliege for the most triples (1). Tim Tolson hit the only home run for the month.

Other top hitters for the month include: Tolson (played in seven games and batted .640), Jesse Ochoa (six games, .714 average), Crowley (10 games, .605 average), Bigham (11 games, .474), Price (9 games, .459), Brian Reilly (six games, .654). Ron Petersen (seven games, .480) and Daliege (five games, .579 average). Hard-hitting Dave Rhoades played in just three games, but made the most of his at bats. Rhoades went 9 for 11, a blistering .818 average. Ted Davis played in just four games but batted .467 and Mike Steele went 5 for 8 in just three games played for a .625 average.

Among the 80-and-over players, it was 88-year-old Floyd Lance leading the way. Lance played in six games and went 8 for 16, a .500 average.

The top pitchers for the month were Barzell (4-1) along with Daliege (2-1) and Peters (2-0).

Photo: Pete Peters goes 28 for 39, grabs TOTS' batting title for May.

Diamondbacks drop 3 of 4 to Reds

Arizona Diamondbacks


The Arizona Diamondbacks drop 3 of 4 to the Cincinnati Reds at Chase Field, including a 4-3 loss today in the final game of the series. The D'backs, now without A.J. Pollock -- the toughest hitter for Arizona over the last six weeks, fall to 23-36 on the year -- 13 games below the .500 mark.

That's 59 games in the books -- one third of the season gone, and the D'backs are deep in the cellar of the NL West, 15 games back of the league-leading San Francisco Giants. Today, Wade Miley (3-6) gives up four solo home runs as Arizona drops to 9-22 at Chase Field.

The Diamondbacks hit the road and head for Denver and their next series against the Colorado Rockies (28-28).

As expected, it's the Heat and the Spurs

NBA Finals


As expected the Miami Heat will take on the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA finals.

The Spurs will host Game 1 on Thursday night in the best of seven series.

I'll go with the Heat. They should win it in six, unless the Spurs can keep their all-star guard Tony Parker in the lineup. If Parker gets his share of minutes, then maybe it'll go seven.

Still, if LeBron James has his way with the Spurs then chances are the Heat will take home another title.