PHNX Arizona Diamondbacks Podcast - D-Backs After Dark: Kick Rocks

Episode Date: May 25, 2026

The Arizona Diamondbacks complete another series win over the Colorado Rockies, taking 3 out of 4 at Chase Field. Derek and Rok get together to talk about the wins over this 13-game span vs NL West basement dwellers, Ketel Marte’s resurgence, and why the moves made by Mike Hazen this offseason weren’t exciting but are working out so far. Limited-time offer! Become a Diehard for just $36: https://gophnx.com/intro-offer-youtube WHILE SUNS ARE IN PLAYOFFS Limited-time offer! Become a Diehard for just $32: https://gophnx.com/suns-playoff-offer-youtube JOIN THE SUPPORTERS CLUB ➡️ https://tinyurl.com/yc6km2r4 An ALLCITY Network Production SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube: https://bit.ly/phnx_youtube ALL THINGS PHNX: http://linktr.ee/phnxsports MERCH https://store.allcitynetwork.com/collections/phnx-locker ALLCITY Network, Inc. aka PHNX and PHNX Sports is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by the City of Phoenix PHNX Events: Get your tickets to PHNX events and takeovers here: https://gophnx.com/events/ ALLCITY — including us here at PHNX — is teaming up with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America for an exciting three-year partnership. To learn more, visit https://www.bbbs.org/allcity/ Branded Bills: Use code BBPHNX at https://www.brandedbills.com/ for 15% off your first order! Husband & Wife Law Team: If you’ve had a serious injury, Call The Husband & Wife Law Team first at 602-783-8841 or visit https://husbandandwifelawteam.com/?utm_source=allcity-padcasts&utm_medium=digital-phx&utm_campaign=allcityShowNotes bet365: https://www.bet365.com/hub/en-us/app-hero-banner-1?utm_source=affiliate&utm_campaign=usapp&utm_medium=affiliate&affiliate=365_03485317 Use the code PHNX365 to sign up, deposit $10 and bet $5 to get $150 in bonus bets! Disclaimer: Must be 21+ and physically located in AZ.  If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-NEXT-STEP, text NEXTSTEP to 53342 or visit https://problemgambling.az.gov/ Gametime: Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code PHNX for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Shady Rays: Head to https://shadyrays.com and use code: PHNX for 40% 2+ pairs of off polarized sunglasses. Try for yourself the shades rated 5 stars by over 300,000 people. Circle K: Join Inner Circle for free by downloading the Circle K app today! Head to https://www.circlek.com/store-locator to find Circle Ks near you! When you shop through links in the description, we may earn affiliate commissions.  Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You are now listening to PHNXD backs after dark. What a fucking stretch, brother. What a stretch. We knew that these games were important. And I think I've said it with you. I know I've said it with Damon on the show, but it was more about how many games the Diamondbacks would lose over this 13-game stretch against the Rockies and the Giants than how many they win, right?

Like, don't get me wrong. winning is good, doing well is good, beating teams you should beat is the goal and something that a team that is trying to eventually make the playoffs needs to do. But again, it's just more about the season not being over, feeling good, because here we are after this Rocky series,

the Diamondbacks take three out of four against the Rockies, they take two out of three in Colorado to start this 13 game stretch. and then sandwiched in between is a three-game sweep of the giant, something they haven't done in quite a long time, right? So this team has already almost met what we considered to be the prerequisite minimum of wins already, right? I mean, we got seven wins or no, they got what?

They got eight wins now, right? They're three and four, three of the eight wins. I mean, we said going eight and five was the bare minimum that you can. could do to expect to still kind of be a playoff team on the other side. And I was labeled a crazy person when I said they should go 10 and 3 or 9 and 4. And they're pretty much right there. You were like sweep them all. I was like, hey,

everybody 10 and 3 because I remember your reaction like what? So considering the thought of 10 and 3 being what people felt like and I know you didn't mean it this way, but there were people that responded in our chat on the live show that felt like. 10 and 3 was the bare minimum of what they needed to do over this stretch, right? And it's like, you can't expect them to sweep everybody. You can't, you can't expect them to win every game. It was all doom and gloom on Friday during our postgame show when they lost game two.

How dare they lose one game? How fucking dare they lose one game? This, it's fucking over. It sucks. This team is shit. Bring in the bulldozers, knock down Chase Field, turn it into a five-story parking lot, right? no you know just one loss and they responded nicely they you know they take three out of four which is never easy to do against any opponent right like playing someone especially seven games

over the course of 11 days yeah that's a that's a lot it's a lot to expect any team to be able to dominate the other team kind of the way they did winning five out of right they won five out of seven games like that's impressive yeah no they uh they have they handled their business and um during this run we've seen kattel martay heat the fuck up corbin carroll is a triples machine you know and uh let's talk about a and then the unfortunate day two triples today my guy yeah and then the unfortunate thing is lority goes down and goes on the 10 day which was which resulted in the call-up and today was a Tommy Troy show two doubles I mean first hit run scored the box yep you know I mean these guys continue to give the spark that you need

the Diamondbacks get that from two different categories they get it from the guys returning from the IL and then they're also getting it from all of these call-ups yes and as I've said time and time again. Tori Lebello is such a perfect manager for a young player to land under. I truly feel like even with all the grief the fan base gives him and how many people out there fucking hate his guts for some reason or another, right? And I can't explain that. I still don't understand it.

I'm too close to it. I'm too close to it. I'll never be able to understand it because I is simply like Tori as a person far too much to be able to ever criticize him and feel like the man needs to lose his job. I've seen him do so much with a team that had no business going anywhere in the playoffs like they did in 2023. And I've seen him continue to do so much with a team that quite frankly, he's not really given a fool enough roster to be as competitive as, you know, this team has, you know, been at

time. No, because we've had guys, I mean, guys, guys have gotten hurt. guys have gone down. Did Carlos St. did I hear correctly? Did Carlos Sain did it get hurt for the third time in his rehab stint? Did I hear that right today on the broadcast? I don't know if it was a third time.

Or they did reiterating the second? He re-aggravated it while he was doing his rehab start. And then I think things haven't gone well as far as his, you know, his rehabilitation even since that point. But he's also- Do they keep him at this point? Do they keep him? I need them to because he,

if not, the biggest fight that Damon and I am in that is going to result in Damon winning that argument. We don't want that then. Him to return to the main roster at the very least rock. It's the most important thing, possibly my entire life. I don't even care if he fucking plays a single game, but as far just being so firm on the idea that you wouldn't DFA, a veteran of Carlos Santanas. You know, oh, there's also his side is the optics, how it looked.

It's a bad look. That's my side of it. Okay. I mean, it is a bad look. His side is to just do it. Just get him out of here, right? Like, just don't bring him back, right? And I say, again, as much as I do agree with that,

because I feel like baseball is just that kind of game, unfortunately. It's just that game that sometimes, you know, moving on, especially to a younger option that you have in the minors that's ready to go, it just always seems to be the way that it works out for this particular team. Not every team, but this team, this Diamondbacks team. It's why the minor league system and those young prospects are so important and why the Diamondbacks can't really like give up on these guys

when it's someone like a Drew Jones, for instance, who struggled so much like in his first year in this organization, right? But I mean, like you said, today was the Tommy Troy show, two doubles today, two for four in his debut, two runs scored. You also have Ryan Walschman going two for four today with an RBI and a run scored. You also had Cotel Marte going three for four and finally striking out, finally striking out coming into today's game, Catele Marte had not strug out in 36 straight plate appearances dating back to May 15th.

It was the longest streak in Major League Baseball. That's fan-fuckettastic. Cotel Marte is now hitting what, like, over 500? over this stretch where he has just been completely back it's been incredible he's i mean just he's i mean he was hitting the fucking the fucking skin off the baseball before this he just what they just weren't falling right and now he is continuing to hit the fucking skin off the baseball and they're either leaving the ballpark or there are doubles in the gap or they're right down the line and he's just he's being katal marty he's a dangerous he's a bad bad man he is a bad bad man he is a

He is a bad, bad man. We knew he was going to come around, though. We've set it on this podcast. It was just a matter of Cotel remaining patient enough for those results to eventually come. As much as you want the player to remain patient, they are not going to, especially when you heard from Tory that Cotel was basically like, fuck your numbers. Fuck your expected stats. I don't give a damn about your expected stats. Now, Cotel's on an eight-game hitting streak.

he's tied for the fourth longest active streak in baseball rock over that stretch he is hitting 531 he is 17 for 32 yeah it's insane man it's insane and it was so dope watching him hit his first career walk off homer um that night and i ain't gonna lie man and i think i we talking about this on the side like the video clip of him hugging tory i fucking love that shit man i fucking love that shit. Yeah. Like it's it again, it's the reason why like you as a fan will never understand the relationship that these players have with Tori Lavolo. That relationship he is able to establish that bond he is able to establish is the reason why and probably, and Tori will tell you this himself, probably the only reason why he is still the manager

of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Yeah. He's. They're family. These kids are family to them. Players are family. And that feeling of a dad watching over you and supporting you is, I think is the reason why we see a Tommy Troy come up here and go two for four and hit two doubles. It's the reason why Ryan Waldschmidt has reached base safely now in 11 of his last 12 games and is hitting like nearly 400 over that stretch. I mean, these guys come up and they are delivering.

And a big part of it is because of how comfortable, he makes them feel the minute that they hit the major league roster yeah i think i know the answer to this because i think i'm i'm forgetting um tory was a bench coach in boston right i i don't know bench coach but yeah i mean he was he was part of the boston coaching staff correct he was absolutely so he's from the terry francona tree of managers he learned he was under tito he was definitely part of that entire system which makes sense that he that his players love him because tito's players will love him for very similar reasons right and they will run through a wall for him he was the manager of the pawtucket redsox okay triple a team but he was in the organization right

and then he was there he was there under my kazen and then um he was named i think the manager of the year at some point. And then like, yeah, I do think that he had some sort of, I think, like, I want to say a major league level, he did play something managerial candidate. He was, yeah, you're right. He was the, wait, no, Toronto's first base coach and then he came back, ultimate rid slacks. I don't, I don't, I mean, he's, he's, but he's worked underneath that organization,

underneath that tree. He was with Cleveland as well. So I mean, he's just, I think the biggest thing about Tori is that he himself was a player. Yeah. And I know a lot of managers are players, but a lot of players that become managers were managers the whole time. They were just a player in disguise. You know what I mean? They were they were just a manager being a player because they were young enough to still be a player. But when you talk to them and you listen to them and you had baseball conversations with him, that person was a manager and you could just tell, no matter what, right? There's players on the scene, James McCann, great example of a guy that is currently a player,

but very much speaks, acts and thinks like a manager of a baseball manager. McCann's going to be a manager. I'm sure he will be. Yeah. When it comes to Torrey, I think it's because Tori's still deep down inside has always been a player. Yeah. He's always been a player, you know, and so he understands everything they go through.

He understands how important those moments are. He wants to celebrate them in those moments. He wants to support them at times where he feels like they need support. And again, because he's never lost, I feel like that connection to what it is to be a player, it allows him to address those moments with each player, which is hard to do with the 26-man roster, you know, as often as he does, right? It's why when other people blame him for all sorts of other stupid shit, I'm just like, he doesn't even have time.

to worry about that. You think he's working with the pitchers? They have a fucking pitching coach for that. What are you talking about? He gets updates from the pitching coach on these things. He's not the one over there telling them what pitches to throw and what works for them. You fool.

That's why there's coaching staffs. That's why he has a coaching staff. He takes it, though. He takes it on the chin. And if there's ever any reason, I think, why so many people blame him for everything. It is because Tori Lavello himself accepts blame for so much. But he deserves credit when the team's playing like it is right now.

He deserves credit for the way that this pitching staff has been pitching. Ryan Nelson, fucking shoved today. Eight innings, six hits, one earned run allowed, three walks, three strikeouts. Another fucking quality start for this team, man. And that can't not, you cannot say enough about what quality starts do. A quality start, six innings pitch, three earned runs or less. That means every time these starters are going out there and giving this team that, they are giving this team an opportunity to win baseball games.

The Diamondbacks have 14, 14 quality starts in their last 19 outings. Out of nearly 20 outings, nearly, it's crazy. 14. That's an insane number. It's an insane number. Right. And I mean, it's just, it's fascinating. to me how it all happened since Tori brought them all in the office and gave him the dad's speech

hell yeah man you know gave them the the get your shit together yeah that get your shit together speech that he also gave to the offense because why wouldn't you after seeing it work so well for the defense or for the for the pitching staff i would bring every motherfucker into my office everybody, everybody get in here. Make room. Move in. Everybody move into the left. Squeeze into the wall.

Make room for your teammates because everybody's coming in to my office right now. But I mean, it's just been amazing. Today's win, just a thorough ass kicking of the Rocky, something that they absolutely should be doing. Not that three to two lost bullshit from Friday. But again, nine to one, taking three out of four. And they're just hot, man. They're a hot baseball team right now.

They're a hot baseball team going to go play a three-game series with another not-so-hot baseball team that they just got through Whoopin so hopefully they can carry that over tomorrow Get the W in the first game early game tomorrow Memorial Day so Two-clock day game action. Yeah, yeah, I'm like Let's just let's fucking go man. Let's go like. This is that's fucking go They're playing far above expectations man absolutely I mean again. I know I know the baseball season as long so it allows people to get frustrated with them but at 28 and 24 right now i mean it's far better than we could have expected them to be like you said we have three games ahead of us and and it's not

like the diamond back schedule is tremendously hard after that i it's it they got they got seattle yeah and then it's the dodgers right right and then it's the dodgers right but then still it's not what we perceive april to be the nationals are playing some good fucking baseball so that's a not a trap series. That's just a team that's been having tremendously good offense lately and not a team you can trifle with. But then they got the Marlins and the Reds. Then the Angels come to town. Then the twins are here. Then they have a what suddenly is a tough four game matchup with the Cardinals in St. Louis and a three game matchup with the raise. But then they close out the month with another series at home against the Giants. So May or May they have a chance to close out May strong. And then June looks like a month that if you're. There's one of the games there. a lot of winnable games in there angels twins reds marlins like there's a lot of winnable games and then some tough series against teams that are kind of those surprises this year for how well they're playing including the cardinals and the race right but again those those are the tests when they get to the cardinal series when they get to the raise series they are going to have a j puck back by

that point they are going to be at like i don't know maybe 75 percent they'll also have jordan Lollerback at that point. So this is when it's good to actually see them starting to take on teams that are playing well to see how they fare right now against the Cardinals team that could stand in their way of a playoff spot come, you know, this September and a race team that is, again, just playing really good baseball right now. I think they're still leading the ALE East, if I'm not mistaken. So the race, yes, they are. Yeah, Tampa Bay is quietly leading the ALEs right now. it's Ritz Wild. But, I mean, the fact that they were able to get a 2-1 victory in this series,

a 5-4 victory in the series, and then a 9-to-1 win says to me that this team, again, has lots of ways to beat you. And, again, it feels like the offense is starting to come back online, still not fully back online, but a 12-2 win in that giant series, scoring 11 runs in the final two games in that series, and then, you know, a big nine-nine run day-to-day, makes you feel like this team could go into San Francisco and keep this offense rolling. I'm looking forward to him, man.

We got a lot of baseball ahead of us, but this team is in the right direction right now. Can tell Marte, man, probably the best thing, you know, that we could be seeing right now. Just him playing this level of baseball right now and having his bat just be back. This was his fourth multi-hit game in his last five games. And he is homered in three of his last six games. So you can just tell he's having, he's having fun out there right now. He's having fun. Yeah.

Yeah. I thoroughly enjoyed his, uh, the bazooka during his home run trot. Yes. Yeah. And the fucking fact that after he hit a home run, he comes back up on the next at bat and buntz for a single. Oh my God. Oh my God. That's some of the illest shit ever.

That's some of the illish shit. That's when I know. I'm like, oh, Cattel's dialed in right now. Right. Ketela had no reason to butt right there. No reason. And he just, he did. And Tori said,

Tori said after the game, Kutel is one of the best bunters he's ever seen. The problem is, is that you don't want a guy like Ketan bunting. Why do you want to play a little ball 440? Why do you want him to bun it four feet? I mean, you ain't wrong. But hey,

it's nice to know he's got that in his back pocket. Any concerns right now? We saw the bullpen. Bend a little bit, Juan Murillo hasn't been really sure. I mean, yes and no. I mean, those guys went through a couple stretches where they weren't getting a lot of work. So, I mean, that can throw off, you know, your shit a little bit. Yeah. Crazy how the starting pitching being good somehow has a fucking adverse effect to it. Some sort of shitty adverse effect. Oh, yeah. Yeah, everything's going

great for you, but because your starters are staying in so long, your bullpen's not getting work. and now they're getting rusty and your guys aren't charred. I'll say this much, man. A big shout out to Kevin Ginkl. Gink saved us twice. Gink's been a stud. He's been a certified G and a bona fide stud for sure. And again,

I think we're in a good spot. I think if this team continues playing good baseball and we're getting quality starts like you mentioned, you know, and the bullpen goes in there and does what the bullpen's supposed to do. I'll tell you this much. Paul Seawald having the amount of saves he has and the opportunities. I'll be the first one to say I was wrong.

Another man that deserves a lot of apologies. I was so mad when they brought him back. And now I'm like, shit, I was wrong. Way wrong. My guy Jack Summers did an article on the attendance being down this year. Right. And while I think he made lots of good points, I think one thing to keep in mind is something that I talked about during the offseason.

And that was the group of players they brought in, both returning via trade, via free agency. It just wasn't exciting. No. Right? It's guys that have been here before. It's aging players like Carlos Santana and Nolan Aronado. Like there just wasn't that level of like, oh, man, we got Corbyn Burns.

Oh, man. We got Jordan Montgomery. So I think that that really did impact the excitement of people coming into this season. That's fair. Yeah, no, that's totally fair. you know, especially considering how fickle Arizona sports fans, not just Diamondback fans, Arizona sports fans are fickle as fuck. So if there's no buzz or if there's not something like flashing and shining going on with the team,

yeah, casual fans might not be as inept to tune in or for black of a better, you know, walk through the gates. Now, the team performing the way they're performing right now, this is how you change that. So. Correct. But like, again, if it was another closer doing what Paul Seawald would do, people would be like, Mike Hazen is a genius, this is the greatest signing ever. Yeah. Right.

Same thing about a lot of things. But the things that he doesn't get credit for, the Jonathan Loisigas, signing Michael Soroka, who's been just outstanding. It's been great. And a half million. I probably bring that up almost on every podcast that I can. Just because, again, it's important. He's another one.

I wasn't, like, I wasn't. Like, I wasn't thrilled and or blown. I wasn't mad, but I wasn't like, correct by Soroka being a D-Bak. I'm like, okay, whatever. It's a guy who from appearances, his glory days were far behind him. Yeah. An injury ruined his career.

Several injuries ruined his career. And here he was at kind of like a point where you don't even think of him still being a young man with a lot to still to get. He was, what, 28 years old? Like, Soroka's track record and the amount of time he's been in baseball makes you feel like he's like a 37-year-old, right? Like he's nearly 10 years younger than that. He's had great stuff.

He's had great stuff to start the season so far. It's incredible that what this pitching staff has given them, considering the cost and everything that they were able to get has been outstanding. You know, it's just, again, it's the perception from the fan base about these guys. A lot of people have written Zach Allenoff is being washed. They've written Paul Seawald off as being washed. They've written a lot of components who they have seen with their, own eyes here, play for this team in this jersey and disappoint us. And they don't want to give them

a third, fourth, fifth chance at this point, right? But it's, it's, that's us as fans. That's how we feel as fans. The organization feels so much differently about them as people and as assets to their organization. Do you think, I mean, we're not, you know, super close to. We're also not that far away. What do you think this team does if anything comes to right, deadline? I think, I hope that we bring in some power. That's my hope. It's weird, because if you would have asked me, you know, the bullpen probably would have been the first thing I said. But now it's more like who goes when AJ Puck returns. Who goes when Justin Martinez goes? Same thing with the starting rotation. Corbin Burr. A minute there, there I implored Zach Gallen to not

make this decision easy on this organization because it felt like he was making it entirely too easy. Everyone else was shoving and Gallin wasn't, but Gallen has been so good since I begged him to start. And I know my begging had nothing to do with it. However, just to say, it's great to see Gallen make this decision as hard as fucking hell on this organization. Make this a nightmare on them. Make them not be able to want to make this, you know, decision when Corbyn Burns returns, right? But like, yeah, I mean, at this point, seeing what this team has done, seeing the lack of home run, seeing the lack of having a good DH cleanup hitter, any of that, please, for the love of God, give me a left-handed power bat. I know that's hard to come by, but, you know, when you're talking trade deadline, there's a good chance that there might be a number of players available because a lot of the really, really good teams in baseball or teams that were supposed to be really good aren't this year. So those teams might be selling off assets when the trade deadline comes along and it might just be to the Diamondbacks back.

benefit. Dear Mike Hazen, the Houston ass rows are trash. Go get Yordan. Oh. And while you're there, just knock on the door and see what they want for Christian Walker. All I'm saying is, you see if we can bring Seawak back. You know, I'm just mostly for playing against the Dodgers in the, in the post- brother. Brother, brother has a home at fucking Dodgers stand. He has a home.

It's his fucking stadium. Christian Walker Field, brother. That's right. That's right. Christian Walker Field at Christian Walker Stadium. Christian Walker Stadium is what it's called. That's what I've heard. At Christian Walker.

Yeah. That is the house that Walker built. Good shit. Well, man, it's great to see this team playing good right now. And, of course, you and I will be back to say a lot of curse words here shortly. But thank you guys so much for listening. Of course, you can follow us on social media. I am at K-Mad-Man with a K.

He is rock knowledge at rock knowledge. That is R-O-K. Of course, our show is at P-H-N-X-W-S. underscore debacks but as always all roads lead to at p hmx underscore sports on twitter instagram and facebook thank you guys for checking us out here late at night and appreciate your time we'll see you next time and remember kids baseball is fun but it's so much more fun after dark