The Diamondbacks are a joke - except when Merrill Kelly is pitching. Kelly will be taking the mound today facing Alec Mills and a disappointing Cubs team that has lost 17 of their last 23 games and expected to be sellers when the trade deadline comes up in a week.

Arizona needs to be taken seriously when Kelly pitches having won five of his past six starts. Kelly has a 2.56 ERA during his last six starts. Among the teams the Diamondbacks have defeated during Kelly's last six starts are the Giants, Padres, Brewers and Cubs.

Mills is a bottom-of-the-rotation starter with a 4.64 ERA.

So the Diamondbacks hold a major starting edge while getting a nice plus price.