The most valuable slugger on the Arizona Diamondbacks this season is not going to play in the All-Star Game in St. Louis next week -- not yet, anyway. The fans still have an opportunity to vote Mark Reynolds to be the final player named to the National League squad, but knowing the nowhere-close-to-rabid Diamondbacks fans, Reynolds will probably be enjoying a three-day vacation with his wife in his native Kentucky.
Haren was solid, if not dominant, Sunday as he improved his record to 8-5 with one more start to go before the All-Star break. The D-Backs' ace gave up three runs on seven hits in six innings. Fortunately, Reynolds launched his three-run bomb off Rockies starter Ubaldo Jimenez in the top of the sixth inning to let Haren off the hook. And in the seventh, with Haren now out of the game, Felipe Lopez singled sharply to center to score Gerardo Parra, who'd stolen third base one pitch earlier. In the sixth and seventh innings, the D-Backs played inspired baseball. After that, relievers Jon Rauch, Scott Schoeneweis, Tony Peña, and Chad Qualls shut the door on the Rockies.