Joe Saunders has something to prove

Joe Saunders already told reporters last week that he feels he is “just as good” as Dan Haren and through two starts with his new team, it’s pretty clear he is on a mission to prove just that.

After holding the Phillies to two runs over seven innings in his D-Backs’ debut last Thursday, Saunders allowed just one run in a complete-game win over the Nationals on Tuesday night.

Saunders told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he felt some extra weight to step it up for his home debut.

“It’s nice that he (Gibson) has the confidence in me. There was a little talk about the Diamondbacks gave up a lot in Haren. I’m here to prove the fans wrong, obviously, and prove my worth to the organization.”

“Tonight was a big night. First impressions are big, and I had a decent start.”

There’s obviously a lot of pride on the line for Saunders here, but his new home isn’t going to change the fact that his 55-32 career win-loss record is over-rated based on the quality of the team he played for. Wins are going to be harder to come by in the desert, likely exposing him for the mid-rotation starter that he truly is.