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Analysis: Rough-and-tumble NL West just getting started

Torey Lovullo likened the NL West race to a prize fight during his first trip to Petco Park. His Diamondbacks had taken a couple haymakers from the upstart Padres, returned one of their own and then were knocked back on their heels again before leaving San Diego. They return Friday, good and bloodied and trying to pick themselves off the canvas of the NL West.

That’s certainly no place to be in a division this deep and a season this compact.

“These are grinding times,” Arizona’s fourth-year manager said this week as the Diamondbacks lost eight of their first 11 games.