What's up with Byrnes?

So, the $10 million man is in a slump. It has pretty much lasted the entire season, and no one knows what to do, other than boo him.

He's had only 5 hits last in the last 10 games, and in those 44 at-bats, he has not drawn a walk once. He's swinging at bad pitches, swinging badly at good pitches, and looking pretty foolish.

The last time a high-priced veteran on this team was scuffling for an extended period (Matt Williams), the Diamondbacks designated him for assignment, effectively ending his career.

Instead of being the hero, Byrnesy needs to just leave the bat on his shoulder a lot more. Hell, take every pitch in an at-bat, if that's what it takes. He needs to start seeing balls and strikes, and being able to tell the difference. If he were getting on base a little more often by walking, at least he have opportunities for stolen bases and head-first slides-- two things that could re-energize him and get the crowd behind him.

Valverde Watch: Oh my. Papa Grande seems to have gotten his stuff together-- after allowing 10 runs in his first seven games, Valverde has made 14 appearances without giving up a run, collecting 10 saves and two wins in the process. In fact, in those 14 appearances, he has only allowed 9 total base runners.