Diamondbacks
One of two D-backs All-Stars, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt has been living up to the title since July began. After his batting average fell to a season-low .296 on June 29, Goldschmidt has been on a tear. In 12 games, he is batting .395 (17-for-43) with eight doubles, giving him a Major League-leading 36 for the season. … Manager Kirk Gibson said he spent part of the All-Star Break watching his son play in the Cape Cod League.
Dodgers
Dan Haren pitched much better last season after the All-Star break than he did before it — and he’s hoping the same scenario will play out this time around. The three-time All-Star: “I went through a similar thing last year, but then the All-Star break came and I was able to kind of turn the page and string together some good ones.” From manager Don Mattingly: “He’s got less room for error than he has in the past.” … The Dodgers entered the All-Star break with the best record in the NL for the first time since 2009.
Giants
Tim Lincecum has been on such a roll over the past three weeks. It is the first time Lincecum has won four consecutive starts since April 5-23, 2010. During his current streak, he has given up just one run over 30 1-3 innings — a remarkable 0.30 ERA. “My stuff isn’t as great as it used to be, but I still try to think that way and get guys out down in the zone,” Lincecum said. “I’m not afraid to throw any of (my) pitches in any situation. That confidence has kind of carried me through these outings.”
Padres
A tumultuous first-half has San Diego on track for a fourth consecutive losing season. The offense bottomed out, especially during June when the team hit .171, the lowest one-month total for any team in baseball history. The Padres (41-54) ended the first half with two shutout losses, Nos. 13 and 14 of the season. “We’ve got to get our bats going,” Padres manager Bud Black said.
Rockies
As long as he isn’t traded to the AL, Troy Tulowitzki figures to be a front-runner in NL MVP race. His .345 average, 21 home runs and 52 RBIs call to mind Alex Rodriguez in his prime. If the Rockies’ poor record costs Tulowitzki, look for Milwaukee catcher Jonathan Lucroy to emerge as one of the more out-of-nowhere MVP candidates in recent memory. Giancarlo Stanton of Miami is another possibility. The trio of star pitchers in the National League — Clayton Kershaw of Los Angeles, Adam Wainwright of St. Louis and Johnny Cueto of Cincinnati — may have cases as well. … Tulowitzki brought a major league-leading OPS of 1.048 into the All-Star break. According to STATS, only four shortstops have finished a season over 1.000 since 1900: Rodriguez, Honus Wagner, Arky Vaughan and Nomar Garciaparra.
Compiled by Rick Crotts from wire reports.
