D-backs 'right where we need to be' to close first half

PHOENIX -- It wasn’t the way the D-backs wanted to head into the All-Star break and they don’t have the record they hoped they would when the season started, but considering everything they faced in the first three-and-a-half months of the season, they are feeling pretty good about themselves.

Sunday’s 8-7 loss to the Blue Jays notwithstanding, the D-backs have been playing good baseball over the last few weeks as they enter the All-Star Break with a 49-48 record just one game out of the NL Wild Card race.

“I'm proud of what we've been doing recently,” D-backs first baseman Christian Walker said. “I think we’ve put ourselves in a position to make a good run in the second half.”

That second half will start Friday night at Wrigley Field against the Cubs.

In the meantime, manager Torey Lovullo and his coaching staff along with second baseman Ketel Marte -- who tallied three hits including a grand slam in Sunday's finale -- will head to Texas for the All-Star Game. The team will reconvene Thursday night for a workout at Wrigley Field.

“I told the guys to enjoy the break,” Lovullo said. “Next couple days, just get some balance in your life, step away from it. But start to turn the dial up midweek on Wednesday because we're going to step into a tough arena in Chicago and I want this team to be ready. I don’t want them to waltz through the first couple innings. I want them to go out there and start making statements the way they have over the past three weeks.”

The D-backs were beset by injuries in the first half. Center fielder Alek Thomas and shortstop Geraldo Perdomo missed significant time.

On the pitching side of things, the rotation has been decimated by injuries. Free agent signee Eduardo Rodriguez hasn’t thrown a pitch yet for the D-backs while Merrill Kelly has been out since late April. Zac Gallen missed a month with a hamstring injury and Jordan Montgomery signed late and then got injured a couple of weeks ago.

The tide is turning with Thomas and Perdomo back and playing well and Montgomery is expected to return in the rotation in the first turn after the break. Rodriguez and Kelly are likely to rejoin the team in August.

“I think mentally we're right where we need to be,” Gallen said. “You know, we kind of battled injuries, obviously. We know the reinforcements are coming from the pitching side so for us to kind of claw back and get to a couple games over .500 considering where we were at, it’s a testament of the culture we have in here.”

Following their unexpected run to the World Series last year, the D-backs were hoping to get off to a better start than they did this year.

They were as many as seven games below .500 on May 31, but have steadily climbed back into the muddled NL Wild Card race. Saturday’s win over the Blue Jays had put them two games over .500, their high-water mark for the season which they had last been on April 2.

With Gallen going Sunday, Arizona hoped to push that to three games over, but the right-hander had an uncharacteristically rough outing allowing seven runs (six earned) over 3 2/3 innings.

“For me, personally, what probably stings the most about today is that I didn't give the guys a chance to win,” Gallen said.

With the Blue Jays leading, 7-0, after four, it would have been easy for the D-backs to mail things in, but they managed to score seven runs in the fifth to tie the game.

Toronto got a solo home from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the seventh to go ahead and eventually win.

“I'm proud of this team for not shutting down and proud of this team for fighting the way they did for nine innings and that's something that I've always enjoyed from this group,” Lovullo said.