👋 GOOD MORNING - Happy Thursday! I hope your week is going well.

Seeing as how today’s newsletter looks at the D-backs, I wanted to take this time to remind you to join us on July 3 as we take over the Chase Field pool! Personally I have never been to the pool yet — it’s been a bucket list item for as long as I can remember — and I hope you join us there!

Snag your tickets today, which include pool access on July 3 vs. the Nationals, as well as complimentary food and non-alcoholic drinks throughout the game. Also, Diehards save 60 bucks, and if you’re not a Diehard, you can take advantage of our summer intro offer ($36, details below) and then buy your tickets. It’s a win-win!

Truly hope to see you there. On to the show!

— Patrick Brown, PHNX Sports Daily Editor

Heading into the eighth inning Tuesday night, it seemed like the Diamondbacks were getting back on track against an inferior team. Arizona led 6-2, having jumped out to a 6-0 lead earlier in the game, and seemed to be in control with six outs to go.

Then the wheels came off.

Pittsburgh sent every hitter to the plate in a seven-run eighth, and went on to win 9-6 in a game that saw the D-backs lose after leading by six for just the 12th time in team history. Yesterday’s rubber match was even more dreadful: A 10-1 defeat to send Arizona to its seventh loss in eight games.

Is there any coming back from this?

I’m an eternal optimist, but it’s hard to sugarcoat this recent stretch. The Diamondbacks are two games below .500 at 27-29, and their generally-dependable offense hasn’t exactly been tearing the cover off the ball lately, notching four-or-more runs just three times over the last eight games.

That alone isn’t alarming, but it is a departure from the run-scoring prowess fans have been treated to.

They have a negative run differential (-6), and their pitching has been tough to watch. Any time the D-backs starters seem on point, if feels like the bullpen falters, and vice versa. They just have not clicked at the same time very often this season.

Ready for the optimism?

The beauty of baseball is it’s a 162-game season, and the Diamondbacks have played only 56. They have a three-game set at Chase Field this weekend against the 24-30 Nationals before hitting the road for six straight, and all three of those series come against opponents at-or-below .500

Lost in the shuffle of Tuesday’s defeat was a gem of a game pitched by Corbin Burnes, and the right-hander has been dominant all month, posting a 1.67 ERA and 0.93 WHIP with 29 strikeouts in May.

Burnes, Brandon Pfaadt, Ryne Nelson and Merrill Kelly have all been dependable as starters recently, but the bullpen has faltered, and ranks 27th in the league with a 5.49 ERA, and 24th with a 1.44 WHIP. For the sake of comparison, San Francisco relievers lead the league in both ERA (2.48) and WHIP (1.01).

October goals, right there.

My Take: If the D-backs are playing in October, nobody will remember game 50-something from May, plain and simple. This roster has the talent to contend, and that’s what makes this stretch all the more frustrating to watch. I have been back-and-forth with my own opinion throughout this still-young season, but I think we have enough of a sample size to understand most of the pieces are in place, and whether or not Torey Lovullo and his staff can get their message through to the players will determine the season’s direction.

Make an Impact: Wildcats linebacker Taye Brown was named to the preseason Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list, which is composed of the top 42 defensive players in college football based on their impact on and off the field. Brown, from Chandler, led all Arizona linebackers in tackles and finished 24th in the Big 12.

Interesting tidbit: IMPACT is an acronym for integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community and tenacity. Georgia’s David Pollack earned the award last season.

Golden: Pretty cool connection, as two former Sun Devil hockey players were part of Team USA’s gold medal win at the IIHF World Championships. Forward Josh Doan and goalie Joey Daccord each helped the US win gold for the first time in 92 years, with the former notching one goal and a plus-2 rating, while the latter earned two wins while finishing with a 91.89 save percentage and 2.00 goals-against average. Congrats, fellas!

It’s a Little Drafty: Make sure to check out the NBA Diehard Draft Guide — Led by ALLCITY draft analysts Derek Bodner of PHLY and Will Gottlieb of CHGO, this guide is your one-stop-shop as teams across the league gear up to reshape their rosters

Note the Diehard draft guide is best viewed on desktop or tablet!

Derek is mad … but not for the reason you might think.

How I feel about the D-backs’ season at the current moment.