The Arizona Diamondbacks got their first home series win in a long time, against the MIlwaukee Brewers, another underperforming National League squad. The wins this week weren't very pretty, as is often the case with this year's team, but the end result was welcome.

Starting pitcher Wade Miley again gets the Pitcher of the Week nod -- not necessarily because he was dominating or anything, but because he keeps winning and this team really needs that., one way or another. The Player of the Week award goes to Miguel Montero, who didn't play a game this week, but got his long-term contract from the D-backs. Miggy got a five-year, $60 million contract, making him the highest-paid Diamondback in franchise history.

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After last week's debacle, this week's 4-3 record was totally welcome. The Arizona Diamondbacks mostly took care of business in series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado Rockies, and Kansas City Royals. The D-backs offense was, overall, much better, but the team's starting pitchers continued to struggle.

Wade Miley didn't get the message, though. He was responsible for not one, but two impressive wins this week -- one against the Dodgers and one against the Royals. Willie Bloomquist gets Player of the Week honors for his consistency.

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It was another woeful week for your Arizona Diamondbacks. They played six games this week and lost five of them. Now, not only has the team's offense continued to be problematic, but their starting pitching has gone in the dumps, as well.

One good thing about that is that this week's Pitcher of the Week is a gimme. The award goes to Patrick Corbin. The Player of the Week award goes to Paul Goldschmidt.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks had themselves a fairly mediocre week that included finishing out a good series against the Miami Marlins and dropping two out of three in series against both the improved Washington Nationals and the New York Mets.

However, even in midst of mediocrity, there were some decent performances. This week's Pitcher of the Week award goes to Trevor Cahill. The Player of the Week award goes to Ryan Roberts.

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Well, the 2011-2012 season for the Phoenix Suns is officially at a close. The team finished a decent 33-33 and overachieved in relation to expectations. They missed the playoffs, but no one really thought they'd make it anyway. Would it have been better if the team had a better lottery position in the draft? Possibly, but it was kind of fun to watch this group do what they did with mostly spare parts. Of course, now the Suns' front office faces a really strange offseason with the potential departure of franchise face Steve Nash. It'll be intriguing (or maybe just depressing) to see what this team looks like next season.

Anyway, here is the season-ending Player Thermometer, ranking the team's players with a considering for their year-long contributions.

1. Steve Nash: Well what can we say about Steve Nash? Nash was typical Steve Nash this year, averaging 12.5 points and 10.7 assists per game this year. Nash finished second in the league in assists this year, just behind Rajon Rando. Considering Nash is 38 years old, the feat is pretty impressive. Nash led Phoenix to playoff contention while having one of his best statistical years of his career. This year more than others, Nash did more with less and took his team where few thought they could go -- to the brink of the playoffs. (Ryan Bafaloukos)

2. Marcin Gortat: Gortat provided about what any Suns fan could have hoped, averaging 15.4 points, 10 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks a game (leading the team in all three categories). Late in the season, some of The Polish Hammer's lack of hammer (aka toughness) showed, but the guy can't really be picked on too much, considering he's the Suns' best center in a long time. Hopefully he'll hit the weight room and work on some lower body strength in the offseason to help him keep position on defense. (Justin Burning)

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This week's schedule was brutal for the Phoenix Suns, who faced two top-tier playoff teams (Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder) and one team they're battling with for playoff positioning (Denver Nuggets). They split the week, but didn't gain as much ground against the Utah Jazz as a Suns fan might have hoped. Plus, they may have lost Channing Frye for the rest of the year. Ouch.

Here are the player rankings for the week, with their previous rank in parentheses.

1. Marcin Gortat (5): Gortat was only one point short of recording four straight double-doubles this week (he had only nine points against OKC). He's been consistent at center during this season-ending stretch, and he'll need to keep up the steady pick-and-roll play for the Suns to close the season with a playoff berth in hand. (Nikil Selvam)

2. Jared Dudley (7): Jared Dudley came up huge for the Suns this week as they push for the playoffs. Dudley had three games scoring in double figures and shot an impressive 26-50 from the field this week, and led the team in scoring against Oklahoma City with 21 points. Dudley cooled off against Denver, only posting nine points on 4-12 shooting. (Ryan Bafaloukos)

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The Phoenix Suns split their week's games, winning against the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Houston Rockets and losing against the Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs. However, it wasn't a standout week for any particular player, really. Steve Nash tops the Player Thermometer this week more because fans saw how bad the team would struggle without him, when Nash left the Spurs game after six minutes due to a hip strain. Grant Hill came back from his meniscus surgery, and played like a man back from surgery too soon. The team is still in the playoff race, but it's going to be a tough ride forward.

Anyway, on to the Player Thermometer, ranked from hottest to nottest. Last week's rankings are in parentheses.

1. Steve Nash (1): Of course Nash is atop this list. He did only play six minutes against the Spurs, but he had two double-doubles on the week. (Jess Root)

2. Sebastian Telfair (7): Yes, we're just as surprised to see Telfair this high on the list as you are. He was incredibly productive over Phoenix's road trip: in addition to 13.5 points, he also had 5.0 assists and 3.25 rebounds per game on just 20 minutes per night. Well done, Mr. Telfair. (Nikil Selvam)

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It was not the greatest week in the world for the Phoenix Suns: they lost two of three games during a crucial playoff push, Grant Hill underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus that may end his season, and rookie Markieff Morris sat out most of the week thanks to the flu. But, the team remains at .500 and, with some helpful losses by Western Conference foes, they're only 1.5 games out of a playoff position. The Suns will need all of their core players to continue their strong contributions in order to make the postseason.

Anyway, as usual, here is the Phoenix Suns Player Thermometer, ranking the roster from hottest to nottest. Last week's rankings are in parentheses.

1. Steve Nash (1): His scoring is down, but his playmaking is as always. He averaged 12 assists for the week, but after scoring 16 against the San Antonio Spurs, he combined for five points in the next two games while taking only eight shots. Still, even when he isn't taking shots, he is making his team better. (Jess Root)

2. Marcin Gortat (4): The Polish Hammer continues to provide steady production on the offensive end and on the boards. Gortat averaged 19 points and 8.33 rebounds per game last week in match-ups against the Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, and New Orleans Hornets. He'll need to step up and increase his rebounding average over the next few weeks for the Suns to remain competitive without Hill in the lineup. (Nikil Selvam)

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The Phoenix Suns had themselves a tough road trip this week, but they split the four games right down the middle. As a result, the team climbed back above .500 and has stayed near the playoff race. It seems like the Suns are coming together as a cohesive squad at the right time of the year. Let's just hope some of those regrettable early season losses don't come back to haunt them as the playoffs draw nearer.

Here is this week's player thermometer, in order of hottest to nottest. Each player's ranking for last week is in parentheses.

1. Steve Nash (2): The aging point guard had a tough time in the state of Florida, racking up 12 turnovers (as opposed to only nine assists) in losses against the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic. Nash rebounded strong during the second half of the road trip, though, with 30 assists in wins against the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers. He continues to be the anchor for this playoff-contending Suns squad. (Nikil Selvam)

2. Grant Hill (5): Mr. Hill had himself some nice offensive explosions this week, going for 19 points and 22 points against the Magic and Pacers, respectively. Besides his increased scoring, Grant is the closest things the Suns have to a utility player, and he does most things with above average skill; this has really come in handy for a Suns team just starting to gel. (Justin Burning)

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The Phoenix Suns had themselves a very pleasant week, sweeping a back-to-back-to-back and winning another after that, for their first four-game winning streak of the season -- a streak that put them team over .500 finally. In particular, Jared Dudley and Channing Frye had strong performances. As we do each week, we do a sort of power rankings for the players on the Suns roster. They are listed from hottest to nottest. Oh, and their previous ranking is in parentheses.

1. Jared Dudley (3): Remember those days when we all thought of Dudley as an unathletic glue guy? He's been changing that perception lately: JD went for over 20 points in three of this past week's five games. Dudley's delivering the offensive punch that the Suns have so desperately needed all season and it's pushing Phoenix back into the playoff picture. (Nikil Selvam)

2. Steve Nash (2): Nash proved this week why some consider him the best true point guard in the league. Nash only averaged 11.5 points this week; however, he averaged 13.5 assists in four games played. Nash put up two double-doubles this week and continues to lead the Suns on their push for the playoffs. (Ryan Bafaloukos)

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The All-Star Break apparently did the Phoenix Suns some good. They've won all three post-All-Star games and have given themselves an over-.500 home record, finally. The usual suspects led the way, including Steve Nash, Marcin Gortat, and Jared Dudley. The bench rotation continues to be kind of wonky, but Suns fans are starting to see a little of the bench spark that was a signature of Alvin Gentry-coached Suns teams. Hopefully, Phoenix can snag their first four-game win streak of the season, on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder. That's probably too much to ask, though.

Here are the rankings for this week. Last week's ranking is listed in parentheses.

1. Marcin Gortat (1): Gortat had a monster week for Phoenix, averaging 16.3 points and 12.3 rebounds this. Gortat posted 18 points and 17 rebounds against the Los Angeles Clippers, and 14 points and 17 rebounds against the Sacramento Kings. Gortat shot over 50% from the field in all three games this week and had six blocks in three games. (Ryan Bafaloukos)

2. Steve Nash (2): Nash is Nash. He didn't have the best week, but it is still better than almost anyone. Facing off against the young Ricky Rubio and the Minnesota Timberwolves, he almost had a triple-double -- 13 points, 17 assists, and eight rebounds. He was the team's leading scorer against the Kings on Sunday with 19 points, shooting 8-13. (Jess Root)

3. Jared Dudley (4): Mr. Dudley had himself a fantastic week, averaging 16 points, 6.7 rebounds, and three assists during the team's post-All-Star win streak. The streak can be heavily attributed to the consistent production of the Suns' core players, which will be a necessity if Phoenix has any playoff hopes whatsoever. (Justin Burning)

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It was a week in which the Phoenix Suns got throttled by the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Lakers got throttled by the Phoenix Suns. The team also lost a back-to-back-to-back that was painful to watch. But, Marcin Gortat got some of his groove back and Channing Frye seems to have found some consistency. Also, Steve Nash distributed the ball like only Cap'n Nash can. As is the norm for this year's team, this week was a mixed bag.

Here are this week's player rankings, with their previous week's rank in parentheses.

1. Steve Nash (1): Nash continues to drag the Suns machine along. Even at 38 years of age, his numbers are similar to those from his MVP years. He's had a fun time distributing the ball this week: In the four games he did not sit out, he had 14, 16, 17, and 14 assists. It always helps those assist numbers when your role players are hitting their shots. (Justin Burning)

2. Marcin Gortat (4): Gortat was killer this week, posting four double-doubles in five games. He also scored over 20 points in three of those five games, providing a solid offensive punch for a team that has struggled to score at times this season. Perhaps most impressive is his first quarter, nine-rebound performance against the Lakers on Sunday. His ability to snag boards from the likes of Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol can only bode well for his future production. (Nikil Selvam)

3. Channing Frye (2): Frye was up and down during the week, scoring 18, seven, 13, five, and 13. His best overall game was against the Hawks with 13 points, 11 boards, and two blocks. (Jess Root)

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It was a promising week in Phoenix, as the hometown squad went 3-1 (although the competition wasn't spectacular, and they avoided Jeremy Lin altogether). Outside of the actual wins, it was good to see Channing Frye and Jared Dudley make their presences known. It wasn't quite as nice to see Gortat's play drop off, but he's shown he's a consistent player, so we'll forgive this little blip. The key for the team this week was finding their offensive touch again. You have to give this team credit: they do seem to play effective defense most of the time; so when they score, it gives them a good chance to win.

Here are this week's player rankings, with their previous week's rank in parentheses.

1. Steve Nash (1): The Suns went 3-1 and Nash was a major reason why. Nash posted double-digit assists in all four games this week, averaging 12.5 dimes a game this week. Although Nash only had four points against the Kings, he still averaged 15 points this week.

2. Channing Frye (10): Channing had, by far, his best week of the season. He exploded for 17.8 points and six rebounds in four games, including nabbing 21/10 in a losing effort against Houston. He's still inconsistent (zero rebounds in 27 minutes against the Kings??), but his production is on the uptick. Frye doesn't need to be the team's second-best player, but he needs to keep up his shooting percentages.

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As the weeks of the 2011-2012 NBA season go on, it is becoming increasingly clear the Phoenix Suns have very little to offer outside of Steve Nash and Marcin Gortat. They've struggled to get consistent production of any kind beyond their point guard and center, and their win-loss record reflects that. In the past few years, a Suns fan might see a new player make a strong contribution every night; now, the fan is surprised if there's any contribution on a given night. Former stalwart players like Grant Hill, Channing Frye, and Jared Dudley just aren't producing this season, and none of the new additions have been particularly effective.

Formulating the player thermometer beyond the Nash/Gortat tandem becomes an increasingly difficult task of determining who's put forth the least amount of suck. But here we go. Last week's rankings are in parentheses:

1. Steve Nash (1): Nash once again had a steller week for Phoenix. Nash averaged 13 points and 10 assists a game this week, including 17 points and 14 assists in a narrow loss to the Raptors. Against Memphis, Nash had a team-high 21 points and led the Suns to their only victory this week. In his last 10 games, Nash is averaging 10.3 assists. (Ryan Bafaloukos)

2. Marcin Gortat (2): Gortat remains one of the team's only consistent producers. While his double-double streak came to an end against Portland (playing shortened minutes due to the embarrassing blowout loss), he's now averaging 14.8 points and 10.1 rebounds on the season. Perhaps he's not a great team's ideal go-to scorer, but the Suns have needed every point he's put up. (Justin Burning)

3. Grant Hill (3): Despite what was stated in the intro, Grant Hill had himself a nice week. He averaged 12.8 points and four rebounds, and provided some spark at the wing position. However, for a team criticized for possessing a gluttony of wings, production from that position has been very weak. Let's hope Hill's on an upswing. (JB)

4. Jared Dudley (4): Dudley jumped up the ranks for his play on Saturday night. His box score looked more like what Suns fans are accustomed to: 20 points, six boards, four assists, and three steals. Unfortunately, in the three games before that during the week, he totaled 17 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, and four steals. (Jess Root)

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The Phoenix Suns seemed to have had some good luck on their brutal road swing: neither the Chicago Bulls nor the Dallas Mavericks faced Planet Orange with their star players on the court. Unfortunately for Steve Nash and company, neither Derrick Rose nor Dirk Nowitzki was needed.

With Nowitzki sitting because of a sore knee, the Mavs downed Phoenix in a 93-87 game that was not as close as the final score might suggest. At one point, Dallas was up by 15 points, propelled by former Sun Shawn Marion's kick-back game wherein he led all scorers with 29 points, including hitting 4 of his 6 three-point attempts.

On the positive side, Phoenix had a 52-42 rebounding edge, bolstered by 17 rebounds (and 19 points) from Marcin Gortat as part of his eighth-straight double-double, but the team shot a season-low 37% from the field, including 30% from behind the arc -- poor accuracy from distance that's become typical for Phoenix this year.

More: The Good, Bad, and Ugly from last nights loss to Mavericks

Outside of Gortat's continued strong play, Grant Hill had a breakout performance with 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals, but he was also solely responsibly for 8 of Phoenix's 19 turnovers. Rookie Markieff Morris, in the starting lineup, tallied 7 points and 11 boards, Shannon Brown notched 14 points of his own off the pine, and Steve Nash had 12 assists in the losing effort.

Contributing to the loss were the usual suspects for the 2011-2012 Phoenix Suns: poor ball protection, poor shooting, and poor bench play. Coach Alvin Gentry has shuffled his starting lineup of late -- including inserting Morris and Ronnie Price into the starting five and moving Jared Dudley and Channing Frye to the bench -- but no combination seems to give the team the bench production that spoiled Gentry in the 2009-2010 season that saw them make the Western Conference Finals.

The loss in Dallas ends the team's road swing and they'll face the Toronto Raptors next, back home at US Airways Center, tomorrow night. For more Phoenix Suns coverage, head over to SB Nation's Bright Side of the Sun blog.

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Though we're a little late here at SB Nation Arizona in getting this feature rolling again, it's once again time to start the Phoenix Suns Player Thermometer! We're going to gauge each player's "hotness" or "notness" in terms of their positive or negative contributions to the team's success (or lack thereof), and monitor how hot or cold the Suns on-court personnel are from week to week. Being on top means a player is doing well; being on bottom means the opposite.

WIthout further ado, here is this week's thermometer, which includes road games against the Chicago Bulls (bad loss), New York Knicks (win), and Boston Celtics (win):

1. Steve Nash: Steve Nash was simply Steve Nash all week. Showing us that he has not lost a step, Nash averaged just over 20 points and just under 10 assists a game this week. Nash was a key component in the Suns getting two key road wins this week, as well. He scored 26 points against the Knicks and had 11 points and nine assists in a win over the Celtics. (Ryan Bafaloukos)

2. Marcin Gortat: The Polish Hammer continued his fantastic play and double-double rampage. He exploded on Friday, going for 24 points (1 point short of his career high) and 12 rebounds in the win over Boston. He's playing like one of the best centers in the West lately, averaging 16.3 points, 13 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks over the last three games. (Justin Burning)

3. Grant Hill: Hill was solid for the Suns all week, posting averages of just over 10 points and just under five rebounds per game. His four steals against the Celtics played a key role in claiming Friday's ugly 79-71 victory. (Nikil Selvam)

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The Phoenix Suns lost 98-89 to the Dallas Mavericks despite strong performances from Steve Nash and Marcin Gortat. Prior to their recent home stand, the Mavs had lost four of five, but now have a two-game winning streak on their hands.

Suns center Marcin Gortat had his first double-double of the season, with 22 points on 10-15 shooting and 10 rebounds, and Steve Nash looked a little like his old self after tallying 12 assists, but their efforts weren’t enough to overcome another woeful evening behind the three-point line, and unproductive bench play.

Phoenix shot 29 percent from three (5-for-17), continuing their poor aim from distance. So far this season, they’ve only had one game shooting above 31% from beyond the arc; it’s a troubling trend for a team that has feasted on the shot in the past. As a whole, the Suns shot 45% from the floor — a decent clip, but the bench was firing blanks at 29%.

The Suns starters logged their heaviest minutes of the young season, with struggling Channing Frye playing the least, at 15 minutes. No reserve saw more than 19 minutes of playing time and Hakim Warrick, the lucky Sun, was relatively uninspiring in his stretch on the floor.

It seems appropriate that Lamar Odom — who, to this point, had trouble finding his place in Dallas — would break out against Phoenix, a team he’s perpetually feasted upon. He had 15 points in limited minutes, though it was Dirk Nowitzki’s 20 and Jason Terry’s 18 that led the Mavs to the win.

The Suns were out-rebounded 53-42 in a game that saw their promising big men struggle overall. Rookie Markieff Morris, coming off his best game of the season, was quiet in only 17 minutes of play (after having played 32 minutes on Monday night). After opening the season with two solid games, backup center Robin Lopez has now put up four mediocre performances, including a 4-point, 0-rebound, 10-minute effort against Dallas.

Phoenix’s next game comes at US Airways Center on Friday evening against the hot Portland Trail Blazers. For more Phoenix Suns coverage, head over to SB Nation’s blog, Bright Side of the Sun.

For the latest AZ sports, follow us on Twitter @SBNArizona and "Like" us on Facebook.

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Week 17's Power Rankings represent the last week of the NFL regular season. Like pretty much every season, there was a lot of drama, and there actually seemed to be more drama than usual heading into the final weeks. But most of that is over now. The last week of the season won't go far in determining who's in and who's out, but there's some seeding on the line. Here's how the Top Ten stacks up to close things out:

1. Green Bay Packers (14-1): Aaron Rodgers recovered quickly from his "bad" game to thoroughly punish the Chicago Bears at Lambeau. The obvious MVP had a 5:8 touchdown-to-incomplete pass ratio on the Pack's way to clinching the top seed.

2. New Orleans Saints (12-3): Drew Brees is having himself an MVP-type season as well, and if Rodgers were playing like a football demigod, Brees would win the award. But the second seed in the NFC might have to do.

3. New England Patriots (12-3): The Pats clinched a first round bye in the AFC and their offense is really clicking these days. Their defense remains suspect, however.

4. San Francisco 49ers (12-3): The Niners took care of business against the Seahawks, and they're right up there in the NFC playoff picture. But Alex Smith is no Mr. Brees and that may hurt them come postseason time.

5. Baltimore Ravens (11-4): It's looking like the Ravens will clinch the AFC North, particularly with Ben Roethlisberger ailing. Can they finally cash in on some of their Flacco-era hype?

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-4): The Terrible Towels played well without Big Ben in Week 16, but his injury comes at an inopportune time. They'll need every ounce of Ben to survive the AFC playoffs.

7. Detroit Lions (10-5): Matthew Stafford had himself another spectacular game against the San Diego Chargers and the Lions clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 1999.

8. Houston Texans (10-5): Although the Texans have clinched their division, their injuries are catching up to them and the T.J. Yates mania has been quelled a bit with two straight losses.

9. Atlanta Falcons (9-6): Atlanta's in as an NFC wild card team, but this is not the dominant team of last season. A weak showing against the Saints on Monday Night doesn't increase confidence in their postseason chances.

10. New York Giants (8-7): The Giants don't really deserve a spot in the Top Ten, but they're currently leading the NFC East, and they're playing better ball than the rest of the teams reaching for the playoffs.

In local news, the Arizona Cardinals were eliminated from playoff contention thanks to their loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. John Skelton again had a painful start and an impressive finish, in the Tim Tebow fashion. Although the Cardinals were aggressive in snatching a new quarterback this offseason, there remains a giant question mark there. They won a lot more games with Skelton, but he's not even close to being an easy answer.

Week 16 of the NFL Power Rankings reflect a wacky weekend in the National Football League. The hopes and dreams of the Green Bay Packers going 16-0 have officially been obliterated thanks to Kyle "Dave Grohl" Orton and his new team, the Kansas City Chiefs. The fears and sad-making of the Indianapolis Colts going 0-16 have officially been obliterated thanks to the Tennessee Titans. Two of the league's most intriguing stories took severe blows in one Sunday. Anyway, on to the Top Ten:

1. Green Bay Packers (13-1): Yeah, they lost, but they're still number one. Aaron Rodgers had his "worst" game of the year, but still threw a touchdown pass and had no turnovers.

2. New Orleans Saints (11-3): As Drew Brees nonchalantly prances his way to the most passing yards ever posted in a single season, his team continues to trounce their competition.

3. New England Patriots (11-3): Tom Brady is also likely to surpass Dan Marino's yardage record. But more importantly, he deflated Tebow-mania a bit with the Pats' drama-free victory over the Denver Broncos.

4. San Francisco 49ers (11-3): San Fran took out the Pittsburgh Steelers at home and proved the team (or at least the defense) is worth of a high seed in the NFC.

5. Baltimore Ravens (10-4): As soon as it seems like they're going to start being impressive, they get crushed by the formerly struggling San Diego Chargers. And yeah, Joe Flacco's still frustrating.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4): A loss to the 49ers was somewhat unexpected, but it's not embarrassing. They still have a fighting chance to win the AFC North.

7. Houston Texans (10-4): Well, it wasn't a great week for T.J. Yates and team. The surprisingly successful rookie QB was thoroughly outplayed by Cam Newton, but doesn't matter much; the Texans are till going to the playoffs.

8. Atlanta Falcons (9-5): After stumbling quite a bit, the Falcons seem poised to snag an NFC wild card spot after winning a couple in a row.

9. Detroit Lions (9-5): The Lions also appear firmly in grip of an NFC wild card spot. All they need to do is win one of their last two to eliminate some of the outliers like the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks.

10. Denver Broncos (8-6) (tie): The Power of Tim Tebow couldn't help the Broncos overcome the Patriots, but the Mile High Messiah still has his team in control of their own playoff destiny.

10. Dallas Cowboys (8-6) (tie): They don't necessarily deserve it, but the Cowboys will probably make the postseason after the New York Giants crapped the bed against the Washington Redskins.

In local news, the Cardinals kept up their improbable winning ways; their streak is now up to four. It took an overtime period and a critical punt return by Patrick Peterson, but Arizona got an exciting win to continue an interesting turnaround it what seemed like a wasteland of a season. There's still an outside, outside chance they can make the playoffs, but they'll need a little divine intervention, and I think Tim Tebow's hogging it all.  

For all the latest AZ sports news, follow us on Twitter @SBNArizona and "Like" us on Facebook. 

Week 15 of the SB Nation Arizona NFL Power Rankings brings us more heroics from Mile High demigod, Tim Tebow, and his Denver Broncos. They topped the Chicago Bears 13-10 with their third overtime victory of the season. The Tebows have now won six straight and seven of their last eight, and look to be steamrolling (generally by 6 points or fewer) their way into the playoffs. Now onto the rest of the elite:

1. Green Bay Packers (13-0): The Pack is playing to win all 16 in the regular season, and it certainly looks like that's a reasonable accomplishment. They may have lost Greg Jennings for the remainder of that journey, but at this point, only an injury to Aaron Rodgers is likely to detail the cheese machine.

2. New Orleans Saints (10-3): Drew Brees and his Nawlins boys have finally overtaken the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC. They had a tough time putting away the pesky Tennessee Titans, but all that matters at this point is the W. Brees' outstanding play under center continues.

3. Baltimore Ravens (10-3): Apparently a lot of Ravens fans read these Arizona power rankings, so they'll be pleased, maybe, to see the Ravens make a nice jump. They did beat the Indianapolis Colts pretty convincingly, but they're most here because of faltering competition and a stout defense.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3): Ben Roethlisberger suffered an ankle sprain in the Steelers' win over the Cleveland Browns, so that might set them back a bit. Probably not, though, as Benjamin seems to be immune to prolonged ankle problems.

5. Houston Texans (10-3): Little Man Yates, as in T.J. Yates, has been a surprise success playing in lieu of Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart, and his non-disastrous fill-in work has helped the team to their first playoff berth and first 10-win season.

6. New England Patriots (10-3): On the surface, this team is playing as well as they always have. Tom Brady's second in passer rating and his team has ten wins. But their horrendous defense ensures Brady needs to score and score big every week. That might get exhausting.

7. San Francisco 49ers (10-3): One wouldn't think a team only sustaining their third loss of the season would fall this far in the rankings, but it's how they lost that's troubling. The Niners' inept offense -- in particular, their woeful red zone play -- will probably keep them from getting very far in the postseason.

8. Denver Broncos (8-5): Tim Tebow will probably never lose another game, ever. But it sure would be nice if he could play decently in the first three quarters of a game. It'd be a lot easier on everyone.

9. New York Jets (8-5): The Jets have fairly quietly won three in a row at a time when they really needed to. But overall, it's been a disappointing season filled with injuries and underperformances. None of their wins are particularly impressive, but they've got eight of them, so that's something.

10. New York Giants (7-6): Yeah, there are other teams with better records, but Eli Manning isn't on those teams. The other Manning has played well this season and his team plays in a winnable division. The Giants can still squeeze their way into the playoff picture. 

In local news, the Arizona Cardinals pulled out a win over the San Francisco 49ers, despite losing Kevin Kolb (again), this time to a concussion-esque injury. John Skelton was shaky in the beginning, but ended up throwing three touchdowns, and the continually improving Cardinal defense locked things up again, allowing only one TD. Arizona is hanging around the playoff picture, but it will take some effort to make it in.

As we enter Week 14 of the NFL Power Rankings, the New Orleans Saints are probably playing the best football of any team outside of the Green Bay Packers. Drew Brees, in a contract year, has had a fantastic season, augmented by new playmakers like Jimmy Graham, Darren Sproles, and Mark Ingram. Unfortunately for them, a lot of their NFC competition is also playing well. The 2011-2012 NFL playoffs are shaping up to be an interesting set of matchups. Anyway on to the Top Ten:

1. Green Bay Packers (12-0): There's not a whole lot of drama left for Green Bay. The New York Giants represented one the last reasonable threats to their undefeated regular season and, while there was some drama in that game, the Pack still prevailed. The season finale against the Lions might be tough, though.

2. San Francisco 49ers (10-2): The Niners clinched the yucky NFC West over the weekend with a thrashing of the cellar-dwelling St. Louis Rams. While it was not a stretch to see this team winning their division, how dominantly they've been winning has been mind-blowing.

3. New Orleans Saints (9-3): Drew Brees is well on his way to passing Dan Marino's regular season passing yards record and his stellar play is pushing the Saints towards the front of the NFC. He's been helped by the team's surprising and above average running game.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3): The Steelers started off slowly against the Cincinnati Bengals, but then stepped all over their collective throat in the second quarter, laying out 28 points. They created some separation from Cincy, but the Baltimore Ravens continue to haunt Pittsburgh's AFC North dreams.

5. New England Patriots (9-3): The Patriots haven't looked all that hot this season - and they just squeaked out a win over the winless Indianapolis Colts - but they've got most of their top players healthy and on the field, so they should continue their playoff-worthy play.

6. Houston Texans (9-3): The Texans have now won two games without starting QB Matt Schaub. Now, star wide receiver Andre Johnson might miss more games. Can Houston score their first franchise playoff berth without their two best players? Sure seems possible these days.

7. Baltimore Ravens (9-3): The Ravens are probably the least-impressive 9-3 team this season. Their three losses have all been against lesser competition. They did take care of business this week against the Cleveland Browns, but their success just doesn't feel as tenable this season.

8. Denver Broncos (7-5): There is a giant mess of teams at 7-5; however, the Broncos crack the Top Ten ahead of the others because of the steamroller momentum they've got going. Their stellar D has kept things close to allow for Tim Tebow to pull off late-game wins, both with his feet and now his arm, apparently, as Sunday proved.

9. New York Jets (7-5): They got a much-needed win against the Washington Redskins to keep them in the playoff race. Their remaining competition isn't too stuff, but there are a lot of AFC teams hovering around them in the standings.

10. Tennessee Titans (7-5): The Titans have been a surprising team this season. Matt Hasselbeck has been a nice stop-gap QB for them and Chris Johnson is finally rounding into form. They beat the downward-spiraling Buffalo Bills to keep their head above water.

In local news, the Arizona Cardinals got yet another exciting, last minute-ish win against the Dallas Cowboys to end the ‘Boys' winning streak at four games. Kevin Kolb looked pretty good in the second half of his return from injury and the team's defense continues to play well. Don't let this get to your heads, Cardinals fans, but the team is actually in the NFC Wild Card race. At the very least, they've ensured that they'll be at least as good (or bad) as last year's team. After the first handful of games this season, it seemed like they'd actually be a lot worse.

Well, the NFL Power Rankings for Week 12 don't contain a lot of surprises, but one team in the Top Ten took a significant injury hit that's likely to affect their fortunes. The Chicago Bears are on a five-game winning streak, but Jay Cutler broke the thumb on his throwing hand in Sunday's game against the San Diego Chargers. Although the Green Bay Packers have a strangehold on the NFC North, it remains one of the most interesting and competitive divisions in the NFL.

1. Green Bay Packers (10-0): Aaron Rodgers and his band of cheesehead gentlemen had themselves a little scare against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but Rodgers threw a touchdown pass with under three minutes to go to keep the undefeated Pack lossless.

2. San Francisco 49ers (9-1): The Niners pushed their win streak to eight with a thumping of the woeful Arizona Cardinals. San Fran was helped immensely by Arizona's five turnovers, because they did actually have a little bit of trouble scoring against the recently stout-ish Cards' D.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3): The Black and Yellow had a bye this week, so there was not a whole lot to detract from their status. However, Big Ben Roethlisberger fractured his right thumb against Cincinnati; it apparently won't limit his playing time, but it might limit his effectiveness going forward.

4. New Orleans Saints (7-3): Drew Brees is leading the NFL in passing yards, despite being in the midst of a potential contract dispute with the Saints. His team has some decent wins and has a fairly easy schedule remaining. The NFC South should be theirs for the gentle prying.

5. Baltimore Ravens (7-3): It's tough to buy into the Ravens completely, since Joe Flacco still can't seem to string together a couple of above average games. However, the team is getting wins and I guess that's all that matters.

6. Chicago Bears (7-3): As mentioned above, the team is on a five-game winning streak, and has won fairly convincingly throughout it. But with Cutler likely out for the season, things are going to get a lot tougher with Caleb Hanie driving the jalopy.

7. Detroit Lions (7-3): Matthew Stafford bounced back nicely from his embarrassing performance against Da Bears. He tossed a whopping five TD passes en route to a win over the Carolina Panthers.

8. Houston Texans (7-3): The Matt Leinart era begins! ... after the Texans' bye week. Cardinals fans will soon know if Matty Matt was really a bust or if Coach Ken Whisenhunt just sucks with quarterbacks.

9. New England Patriots (7-3): With a nice Monday Night Football thumbing of the Tyler Palko-led Kansas CIty Chiefs, the Pats join the cluster eff of teams with a 7-3 record. But they're just not doing things with enough gusto to make it much higher in these rankings.

10. Dallas Cowboys (6-4): Hey, it's the Cowboys! After playing some of their most embarrassing football in a while, the Cowboys have now won three in a row behind a trio of clean games from Tony Romo. When ex-Mr. Jessica Simpson avoids interceptions and fumbles, he can win games.

We won't bother with the teams outside the Top Ten, because well ... they're not that good. In local news, the Arizona Cardinals (and John Skelton) promptly squashed any potential QB controversy. Skelton grabbed himself a lean 10.5 QB rating against the Niners. While Whisenhunt said Skelton will play if Kolb can't, the local fans are feeling "diamond-in-the-rough-oh-wait-no-just-a-dirt-clod" deja vu from last year's Max Hall debacle.

Week 11 of the NFL Power Rankings brings an interesting bit of shakeup to the Top Ten, particularly in the NFC North. The Chicago Bears have made quite the surge as of late, beating their conference rival Detroit Lions handily on Sunday. The 37-13 beatdown pissed off the Lions so badly that QB Matthew Stafford found himself in the middle of a skirmish before the game was done. Oh, and the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers continued to win.

1. Green Bay Packers (9-0): Aaron Rodgers continued his brilliant season with a fantastic crushing of the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field. The Packers this season are looking a lot like the New England Patriots circa 2007. Hopefully theirs will end differently, though.

2. San Francisco 49ers (8-1): Jim Harbaugh's Bay Area Brawlers continue to win unprettily, but effectively. Alex Smith didn't have a great game and 2011 super stud Frank Gore had only six carries for zero yards before leaving the game with a knee injury. But the Niners stopped a late Giants rally and secured their seventh straight win.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3): The Steelers won the way the Steelers are rumored to win: with hard running and hard defending. Rashard Mendenhall helped down the Cincinnati Bengals with two touchdown runs and the defense twice picked off rookie phenom Andy Dalton late in the game to create some divisional separation.

4. New Orleans Saints (7-3): Thanks to a baffling overtime desperation "go for it on fourth" play call from Atlanta head coach Mike Smith, the Saints escaped with a victory over the thoroughly disappointing Falcons. This season, the Saints are having perhaps the quietest success ever.

5. Houston Texans (7-3): The good news for the Texans: they're on a nice little four-game roll, even without star receiver Andre Johnson, thanks to the two-headed running beast that is Arian Foster and Ben Tate. Now the bad news: QB Matt Schaub is out for the season with a foot injury. Cue Checkdown Chief Matt Leinart to get the Texans to their first playoff berth. Yes, that will happen.

6. Chicago Bears (6-3): The Bears' drubbing of the Lions was impressive, and Jay Cutler continues to keep the killer turnovers to a minimum. He did not play well on Sunday, however. But thanks to two pick-sixes from Stafford, Chicago's D made up for the offensive woes.

7. New England Patriots (6-3): Though Tom Brady and company still don't look like the Super Bowl-caliber team they normally are, they pulled out a win against their arch enemies, the New York Jets. Brady looked fairly unstoppable, while the Jets seemed unable to sustain much of anything.

8. Detroit Lions (6-3): Stafford had perhaps the worst game of his career, throwing four interceptions to only one TD, while completing just slightly more than 50% of his passes. And while Detroit's passing game was treading water, their rushing game was non-existent. Not a good recipe for Ws, my friends.

9. New York Giants (6-3): The Giants admirably lost to a tough San Fran team that seems just about unbeatable this season. Eli Manning's penchant for turnovers didn't help matters much, but he had his team in position for a comeback win, in the red zone with under two minutes left. Alas, the magic was spent by that point.

10. Cincinnati Bengals (6-3): Andy Dalton didn't lead his team to a commanding win against their toughest in-division competition, and he threw two interceptions in a critical fourth quarter. But, despite all that, his play has been encouraging, and that has to be welcome for a Bengals fan base that hasn't had much to cheer about for a while.

In local news, the Arizona Cardinals ended their 11-game road losing streak with an impressive win over the Philadelphia Eagles, who are in a chaotic tailspin. Backup QB John Skelton is making a bid for a quarterback controversy, leading a couple of ballsy fourth quarter touchdown drives to secure the win. However, he'll likely be relegated to bench duty again once Kevin Kolb conquers his turf toe.

Week 10 of the NFL Power Rankings is upon us and it's more of the same, really. The only real surprise is Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals, but their presence among the elite is dubious, at best. It is a little bit shocking that the San Francisco 49ers are playing like the second-best team in the NFL, though. But again, dubious. Anyway, on to the Top Ten:

1. Green Bay Packers (8-0): Though Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers are struggling mightily as of late, their chances of handing the Packers their first loss were already slim. Aaron Rodgers has revealed himself to be the best quarterback in the league, and sour Norv Turner wasn't going to have much to say about that on Sunday afternoon.

2. San Francisco 49ers (7-1): Though their competition has not been super impressive, the Niners are still taking care of business and have probably already secured a division crown, only halfway through the season. Frank Gore has basically run this team right into a playoff berth.

3. Baltimore Ravens (6-2): One of these days, Flacco's mediocrity will be held against this team. But just when it looks like that's going to happen, he leads his team on a game-winning drive against one of the top defenses in the league. You're such a tease, Joe Flacco.

4. New York Giants (6-2): Until this past weekend's come-from-behind win over the New England Patriots, the Giants' success seemed untenable. It still seems that way, actually -- especially considering that Tom Coughlin's G-men aren't known lately for their second-half-of-the-season heroics. But their win was impressive anyway.

5. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3): They have now been swept by the rival Ravens, but things aren't looking too grim for the Steelers. They have a chance to make up some divisional ground against the Cincinnati Bengals, a team seemingly playing above their heads.

6. New Orleans Saints (6-3): Drew Brees decided he'd had enough of being crappy, so he handed in a winning performance to get the Saints past the underperforming Tampa Bay Buccaneers. NOLA's going to have to get their run game going a bit more if they're going to stay in the race, though.

7. Detroit Lions (6-2): Stafford and Co had themselves a bye this week, but they snapped their two-game skid in impressive fashion and they continue to look like a team on the verge of putting together an awesome performance that is the culmination of all their young talent.

8. New York Jets (5-3): The Jets are on a three-game winning streak and just put together perhaps their best defensive effort in the Rex Ryan era with a decisive win over the Buffalo Bills. As a result, there's now a little bit of a cluster eff atop the AFC East. 

9. New England Patriots (5-3): The Pats have lost two in a row -- their last in a fashion eerily reminiscent of their loss in the Super Bowl -- so doomsday and all that. But it's hard to ever sleep on a team quarterbacked by Tom Brady and coached by a mean troll man in a hideous short-sleeved hoodie.

10. Cincinnati Bengals (6-2): Still not buying this team, but Andy Dalton and his Bengals can't be denied after winning five in a row. They're still going to have to prove it against an elite team. Their upcoming game against the Steelers ought to do the trick.

Outside of the elite, the Miami Dolphins broke out of the winless club, while the Indianapolis Colts remained firmly in the lead for Andrew Luck's services. That's going to be an awesome dilemma. In local news, the Arizona Cardinals got themselves an interesting win against another terrible NFC West team. Both Cards victories can be directly tied to the formable punt returning of one Patrick Peterson.

Week 9 of the NFL Power Rankings brings a little bit of a shakeup, but not a whole lot. Ben Roethlisberger and his Pittsburgh Steelers make a nice jump with a home win over the New England Patriots, while the New Orleans Saints blow a lot of their Week 8 goodwill with a loss to the lowly St. Louis Rams.

1. Green Bay Packers (7-0): The Pack were on a bye, but that's okay. There doesn't look like there's much that will stop the Cheesehead Juggernauts from a repeat visit to the Super Bowl. There should be many more stupid Aaron Rodgers-with-a-pro-wrestling-belt posings to go around.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2): The Terrible Towel waves on, unrelenting, even in the face of the elite New England Patriots. Big Ben started out slowly, but he eventually finished with 365 passing yards and two touchdowns on 50 passing attempts. He didn't exactly outduel Brady (who also had two TDs, but without the interception), but his team snagged a convincing home win against a tough opponent.

3. San Francisco 49ers (6-1): With everyone in the NFC West but the bottom-feeding Rams losing this week, and the Niners easily beating the Cleveland Browns, it's hard to see the division slipping from their grasp. Frank Gore's been very helpful, but much-maligned QB Alex Smith is having himself a fine season under new coach Jim Harbaugh.

4. Baltimore Ravens (5-2): Though it took a historic comeback for the Ravens, they showed some guts coming back from 21 down for the win. Again, though, it was in spite of Joe Flacco, who's season is just a giant slab of crap so far. But if he continues passing to Anquan Boldin (seven catches for 145 yards), that might help.

5. Buffalo Bills (5-2): Fresh from nabbing himself a fat contract extension, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick led his team to a 23-0 drubbing of the Washington Redskins. The win puts them in (technically) sole possession of first place in the AFC East, after the Pats fell to the Steelers.

6. New England Patriots (5-2): Yeah, they lost to the Steelers and that hurts their current standings in their division. However, it would be very surprising if the Bills managed to permanently overtake Tom Brady and the pesky Pats.

7. Detroit Lions (6-2): The Lions made short work of The Savior, Tim Tebow, and his Denver Geldings. Matt Stafford assured a walloping with his three TD passes and 267 airborne yards. Tebow was almost as good as Stafford, except exactly the opposite.

8. New York Giants (5-2): They almost lost to the woeful Miami Dolphins, but then they didn't. Eli Manning actually had himself a decent game with no turnovers and it paid off. Secretly, though, Dolphins fans are thanking Eli for not completely sucking. Andrew Luck!!!

9. New Orleans Saints (5-3): A week after Brees had himself an awe-inspiring performance against the Colts, he basically pooped the bed against the then-winless Rams, with a 1:2 TD:INT ratio. The Rams get to join the teams with at least one win and the Saints get to sulk in their ineptitude.

10. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2): Everyone's hesitant to give this team much credit, but their record's beginning to speak for itself. Newbie Andy Dalton has been mostly just okay; the Bengal's success has been mostly due to their outstanding defense (that, and the mostly terrible competition they've faced).

We're not going to bother with Power Rankings for the rest of the NFL. If your team isn't in the top ten, do you really care if they are 13th or 16th? But in local news, the Arizona Cardinals managed to continue to astound with their mediocrity when they blew a 21-point lead to lose their sixth straight. And Kevin Kolb got himself a bit of the turf toe. There's gotta be a few fans out there, though, that want to see what John Skelton can do.

We're in Week 8 of the NFL season and it's obvious that Aaron Rodgers has no interest in letting his Green Bay Packers fall by the wayside in the SB Nation Arizona Power Rankings. Insiders say that's Rodgers' sole motivation in pushing the team to a 7-0 record. Meanwhile, the New Orleans Saints are quietly having a good year and the preseason darlings, the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons, are stumbling just a little.

1. Green Bay Packers (7-0): Minnesota Vikings rookie Christian Ponder almost looked like he would upset the Pack, with Minny up 17-13 at halftime. But Rodgers kicked things into high gear, throwing a couple touchdown passes in the second half and Ponder eventually looked rookiesque by throwing a couple of interceptions.

2. New England Patriots (5-1): Tom Brady and Co. are on a bye this week, so they won't get punished for that. Though their defense is among the worst in the NFL, their offense is not, and it's getting the job done so far. One of the Pats' biggest surprises has been their effective running game behind BenJarvus Green-Ellis.

3. San Francisco 49ers (5-1): The Niners have been the biggest (positive) surprise this season. Their winning ways should continue when they return from the bye to face a mediocre Cleveland Browns team at Candlestick. After that, they'll likely have the NFC West under lockdown.

4. New Orleans Saints (5-2): Drew Brees just spat out a masterful performance against the woeful Indianapolis Colts, throwing more touchdowns (5) than incomplete passes (he was 31-for-35), with no turnovers. Biggest worry: their schedule so far has been soft. Biggest relief: outside of November, it stays pretty soft.

5. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2): With their dispatching of the Arizona Cardinals, the Steelers have now won three in a row, despite their widespread mosaic of injuries. If they can keep it up, Pittsburgh may be in prime position to take the division from the Ravens.

6. Detroit Lions (5-2): Detroit's Cinderellas have lost a couple games in a row, but the competition has been solid. Matthew Stafford's having himself a pretty swell (and healthy) year so far, though his streak of games with at least two touchdown passes just ended against Atlanta, and he just suffered a leg injury.

7. Baltimore Ravens (4-2): Though the Ravens have a decent record, and they've been getting some love as a chic pick, it's the same old story so far: awesome defense, terrible offense. They've been winning mostly in spite of Joe Flacco, who needs to finally step up. But he fell flat on his face on Monday Night Football.

8. New York Giants (4-2): The Giants have the dubious distinction of being the least convincing division leader. Both the Cowboys and Eagles are underperforming and, for the most part, New York has taken advantage of an easy schedule. That loss to the Seahawks is going to bite them hard when things get tougher in November and December.

9. New York Jets (4-3): After a rough start, the Jets have put together a couple of impressive wins, particularly their come-from-behind victory over the Chargers in Week 7. One troubling statistic, though: all of their wins have been at home, and all of their losses on the road. However, their remaining road games are mostly winnable.

10. Atlanta Falcons (4-3): Atlanta hasn't been very impressive early in the season. Wunderkind Matt Ryan has been solidly mediocre, with a 9:8 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a QB rating of 79.5. His 61 percent completion rate is decent, but it's been all short yardage passes. Michael Turner's been carrying the team with a 4.5-yard-per-carry average and six touchdowns. They remain far from Super Bowl contention.

We're not going to bother with Power Rankings for the rest of the NFL. If your team isn't in the top ten, do you really care if they are 13th or 16th? For the local fans, it's probably best not to be reminded of how poorly the Arizona Cardinals have played.

Coming into Game 2 of the NLDS, Arizona Diamondbacks starter Daniel Hudson had a reputation for struggling in the first inning. Apparently, Hudson did not want to disappoint in that regard. This time, he gave up a two-run homer from Ryan Braun to getting the D-backs in the hole early to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Hudson managed to make his way through 5 1/3 innings after giving up another two runs in the third, with the score tied 4-4. However, his relief — in the form of Brad Ziegler — promptly put the game out of reach for his team. As part of the five runs he gave up, Ziegler balked, Jonathan Lucroy used a safety squeeze to get the first run on the board, and a Ziegler throwing error kept things moving. Three straight singles put the Brewers up 9-4 — a lead they would hold the rest of the game.

Solo home runs from Paul Goldschmidt and Chris Young highlighted Arizona’s offensive output, and Justin Upton added a two-run homer of his own. Normally, one would call that a successful day for the D-backs better hitters, but Arizona’s otherwise stable pitching made things much harder on Sunday afternoon.

The D-backs continued to have problems with potential MVP candidates Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, who have combined for six RBIs and two home runs in the first two games of the series. Fielder, who was 6-for-27 against Arizona during the season, has hit 3-for-8 so far in the NLDS.

The series comes to Arizona on Tuesday evening, with Josh Collmenter on the mound against Shaun Marcum. By dropping both games in Milwaukee, Game 3 becomes a potential elimination game. For a team that is not considered deep in its starting pitching, going 0-2 with its 1-2 punch of Ian Kennedy and Hudson may end up being insurmountable.

For more Arizona Diamondbacks coverage, head over to AZ Snake Pit.

In what is probably indicative of the culmination of the two teams’ seasons, the Arizona Diamondbacks completed a late-season sweep of NL West rival San Francisco Giants with a 5-2 win at Chase Field.

Josh Collmenter pitched seven strong innings and got the win to move to 10-10. He gave up two earned runs with four strikeouts and one walk. David Hernandez and J.J. Putz cleaned things up in the eighth and ninth innings, with Putz nabbing his forty-fifth save. Collmenter’s counterpart, Giants ace Tim Lincecum, was pummeled for five runs in five innings and fell to 13-14 in what has been a largely forgettable season marred by inconsistent outings and zero run support.

The damage on Lincecum started right away, with a two-run double from Miguel Montero in the first inning to score Aaron Hill and Justin Upton. Hill and Colin Cowgill each had RBI doubles, and Geoff Blum grounded out to allow Hill to score again.

The sweep was the first time since 2008 that the D-backs had done so against the Giants. With San Francisco out of the playoff picture, Arizona is trying to secure first-round home field advantage, but they trail the Milwaukee Brewers, who beat Florida Marlins on Sunday afternoon, by one game.

For more Diamondbacks coverage, head over to AZ Snake Pit.