Sluggers Heat Up In Time for Dbacks/Phils Series

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The Arizona Diamondbacks (54-65) play at the Philadelphia Phillies (66-49).

Jon Garland (6-10, 4.28 ERA) starts vs. Pedro Martinez (1-0, 5.40 ERA).

After a six game road trip, the Phillies return home for a quick stint with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Phillies took two out of three against the D-backs at the end of July. It isn't as hot as it is Arizona, but with the warm weather, the ball will be flying out of Citizens Bank Park.

Pedro Martinez will make his home debut in his second start of the season. He pitched well against the Cubs, allowing three runs in five innings. Garland was backed by horrible defense when he faced the Phillies earlier this year. He gave up six runs (three earned) in six innings.

As it gets closer to September, Ryan Howard is starting to heat up. He has four home runs in the last four games. He is batting .381 will 11 RBI over the last seven days. Howard has Garland in his book, homering off him in July. The Diamondbacks have a big bopper as well. Mark Reynolds has homered in three straight games. He is batting .285 with 38 homers and a .981 OPS on the season. With the humidity, expect a power (or strike out) display, especially from these two sluggers.

Mark Reynolds, The King

Ever since Mark Reynolds saw the "Lion King," he just couldn't wait to be king. He wanted to do everything better than others.

One day, Reynolds, Ryan Howard, and Adam Dunn all went out to dinner, and the conversation turned to baseball. It was the offseason of 2004 and Dunn just broke the single season strikeout record with 195.

"I am the strikeout king," Dunn said, not so proudly.

"Once I break the majors, I'll beat you," Howard replied.

Reynolds looked them both in the eye. "I'll be in the majors one day and I'll beat you both," he claimed in a serious manner. Reynolds was now on a mission.

In 2008, Reynolds and Howard went back and forth for the strikeout title. Howard was on pace to win, however, his September stats consisted mainly of contact instead of K's. Reynolds finished with 204 strikeouts, Howard with 199. Not only did Reynolds break Dunn's feat, but shattered it and reached the unthinkable 200 total.

But Reynolds was not done. He wanted more, and he wanted better. Reynolds sometimes had a reputation of a bully, so he decided to pick on a last place team. He thought about the Washington Nationals, but deep down he felt bad for them. He wasn't that low, so he decided to pick on the team right above them; the New York Mets.

His good friend, David Wright was on that team. They played ball together as kids growing up in Virginia. Wright warned Reynolds not to mess with Citi Field. Wright told it like a ghost story.

"It may be cursed. Stray cats cross in front of the dugouts. Sometimes, the apple doesn't go off after a home run," Wright whispered as held a shining flashlight to his face. "They even named the right field corner after an opposing player, Chase Utley."

But Reynolds was fearless. It was his 26th birthday and he wanted to give himself a present. In three games, he homered four times, the same amount of homers as his good pal, David, has at Citi Field.

Everybody was amazed. Now, Reynolds can call himself the strikeout king, and he sits on the throne at his new palace, Citi Field.

This is not a true story, although it's based on real things.