PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks opened the season with the NL’s best record in April and stayed near the top of the NL West most of the season Miguel Cabrera Jersey , leading the division at the beginning of every month.A September swoon knocked them quickly out of contention.Plagued by bullpen blowups, untimely hitting slumps and a bit of trying too hard, the Diamondbacks finished a once-promising season 82-80. Arizona had a winning record in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2007-08, but finishing nine games back in the NL West was not what the Diamondbacks had in mind after ending a five-year playoff-less streak last season.“We’re not where we need to be right now, clearly,” Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen said Monday. “There were certainly some good things that happened this season, but it wasn’t what we envisioned in terms of what our goals were. Our goal was to go out and compete for a World Series championship and we didn’t do that.”Despite a string of injuries to key players and a couple of summer slumps, Arizona entered September with a one-game lead in the NL West. The Diamondbacks opened the month with three straight losses and finished it 8-19 to drop out of playoff contention.Arizona’s bullpen, reliable most of the season, went into a funk in September Alan Trammell Jersey , blowing numerous leads. The Diamondbacks’ lineup went flat, producing most of its runs in early innings before going quiet late in games.And, as the pressure built, the Diamondbacks seemed to try too hard to get that big hit or out, often digging the hole even deeper.“When you try so hard to get something and you can’t reach it, it just ends up backing up on you,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said.Now the Diamondbacks face a decision: Rebuild or retool slightly.Arizona certainly needs to make changes and could potentially lose two key players in left-hander Patrick Corbin and outfield A.J. Pollock to free agency. The Diamondbacks have to decide if they’re only a couple players away from being contenders again or overhaul the roster.“We need to objectively look at what our circumstances are, what the landscape’s going to be, where we feel like the talent is going to be on our roster, what we can do conceivably to make moves to improve our roster http://www.tigersfanproshop.com/authentic-al-kaline-jersey ,” Hazen said. “Clearly, we need to improve our roster.”Other things to know about the Diamondbacks’ season:MAGADAN OUTThe Diamondbacks mutually agreed to part ways with hitting coach Dave Magadan on Monday, ending his three-year stint in the desert. Arizona was one of baseball’s worst-hitting teams at .235 this season and has dropped its average each of the past three seasons. The rest of Lovullo’s staff will remain.INJURIESThe Diamondbacks had more than their fair share of injuries.Right-hander Taijuan Walker, a member of the opening day rotation, made three starts before needing season-ending Tommy John surgery. Starting third baseman Jake Lamb had season-ending shoulder surgery in early August. Pollock, fellow outfield Steven Souza Jr. and left-hander Robbie Ray each had stints on the DL.CORBIN AND POLLOCKCorbin was an All-Star and Pollock has put up big numbers when he’s been healthy. The Diamondbacks may not be able to afford either. Corbin is coming off his best season, going 11-7 with a 3.15 ERA while logging 200 innings for the second time in his career. He will be one of the top free-agent targets for teams this offseason. Pollock hit 21 home runs in an injury-plagued 2018 season and was an All-Star in 2015. Arizona will have two big holes to fill if both leave.GOLDSCHMIDT’S SEASONAll-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt had another productive season, finishing with 33 homers and 83 RBIs while hitting .290. But the year didn’t start or end well for him. Goldschmidt had an abysmal first two months of the season and, after a big rebound, closed with a thud Lance Parrish Jersey , going 7 for 41 with 18 strikeouts over the final 12 games. Goldschmidt, Arizona’s best and most popular player, enters the final year of his contract in 2019, so the Diamondbacks face a big decision. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Atlanta Braves are threatening to turn a tight NL East race into a runaway finish.Sean Newcomb pitched six strong innings, Ozzie Albies sparked the offense with two extra-base hits and Atlanta Braves beat the San Francisco Giants 4-1 on Monday night.The Braves moved five games ahead of Philadelphia atop the NL East and reduced their magic number to 15 with their fourth win in five games.The Giants lost their ninth straight, matching their worst skid since 2006.Albies was 2 for 4 with a double, a triple, an RBI and two runs. Kurt Suzuki was 3 for 3, including a double leading off a two-run ninth inning.Albies scored the go-ahead run in the seventh. He led off with a double against starter Dereck Rodriguez (6-3) and was awarded third when center fielder Gorkys Hernandez’s throw trying to catch Albies after a wide turn at first was off the mark. Hernandez was charged with an error.“Always aggressive,” Albies said. “He throws behind me http://www.tigersfanproshop.com/authentic-omar-infante-jersey , I’m going.”Albies scored on Dansby Swanson’s sacrifice fly that made it 2-1.Albies had an RBI triple and scored a run in the ninth.“He’s an aggressive kid,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “He’s always looking to advance to the next base, that’s for sure.”Newcomb (12-8) allowed a run on three hits. He struck out eight and walked none.“I was just attacking the hitters the whole time, trying to make them uncomfortable,” Newcomb said.Braves closer A.J. Minter pitched a scoreless ninth for his 14th save.Rodriguez gave up two runs, one earned, on five hits and two walks in 6 1/3 innings.“I asked him to go back out for the seventh. I felt good regardless of pitches,” Rodriguez said. “I thought I could pitch a pretty good inning. I feel strong. I want to keep going out there.“I like playing with old school managers. It’s the game I learned, bunting guys over to second, and grew up watching. Having Bochy as a manger and him having confidence in me is awesome.”The 26-year-old rookie joined some elite company.Rodriguez became one of just two pitchers to allow two or fewer runs over six-plus innings 13 times in their first 16 career starts. The other is former Montreal Expos pitcher Steve Rogers http://www.tigersfanproshop.com/authentic-travis-wood-jersey , per to Stats, LLC.The only other Giant to allow two or fewer runs in 13 of their first 16 starts in a season is Juan Marichal (1965).NOTABLEBraves OF Ronald Acuna Jr. was among the first eight players named to represent Major League Baseball in the 2018 All-Star Tour with Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, which opens Nov. 7 at the Tokyo Dome. … Acuna’s 25th home run on Sunday moved him into a three-way tie fifth place on the career list for players under 21 with Hall of Famers Eddie Matthews (1952) and Orlando Cepeda (1958).TRAINER’S ROOMBraves: RHP Arodys Vizcaino (right shoulder inflammation) will throw a bullpen session Tuesday for the first time in five days. He’s expected to be activated by Friday, manager Brian Snitker said. … RHP Brandon McCarthy (right knee tendinitis) threw a simulated game over the weekend but is not expected to pitch again this season. … RHP Jose Ramirez (right shoulder inflammation) has been shut down for the rest of the season. … IF Rio Ruiz was called up from Triple-A Gwinnett.Giants: INF Ryder Jones (dislocated patella on left knee) will have surgery later this week. The 25-year-old was injured taking a swing during Sunday’s game in Milwaukee.UP NEXTBraves: RHP Mike Foltynewicz (10-9, 2.75 ERA) is 2-3 with a 5.35 ERA in six career starts against the Giants.Giants: LHP Andrew Suarez (6-10, 4.33) is tied for 11th in franchise history for a rookie with 118 strikeouts. He ranks seventh in that category in the San Francisco era.