The Diamondbacks head into a three-game set against the Athletics at Chase Field carrying a little bit of everything: a recent surge, a messy finish to the Cardinals series, and a roster still waiting to see how much Corbin Carroll can give them after his injury. Carroll is considered day-to-day, but Arizona still came out of that St. Louis series three games over .500, a half-game out of the Wild Card, and with the tiebreaker over the Cardinals in hand if it matters down the line.
The matchup on paper looks favorable for Arizona, and not just because the A’s arrive at 42-57 and losers in nine of their last ten. Oakland is 8.5 games out of the Wild Card and eight behind the Rangers in the AL West, which sets up a series the Diamondbacks should have every reason to attack.
Game 1 on 7/20 at 6:40 PM features Jeffrey Springs against Mitch Bratt. Springs enters at -0.3 bWAR with a 3-9 record, a 6.08 ERA, a 75 ERA+, and a 1.42 WHIP.
His season began with promise - a 1.46 ERA over his first four outings - but it unraveled in his fifth start when he allowed seven runs and never really got back on track. The recent numbers have been especially rough: in his last six starts, he has surrendered at least five runs in five of them.
The home run rate is up a full homer per nine compared with his career mark, and his strikeout rate has dropped by 1.5 per nine, which helps explain why the damage keeps piling up.
Bratt, meanwhile, has only two starts to his name, and both lasted just three innings. He allowed one run against the Cardinals and then gave up three to the Dodgers. That leaves the bullpen likely staring at a long night, with something close to six innings to cover.
Game 2, set for 7/21 at 6:40 PM, has Jack Perkins lined up against a TBD opponent. Perkins has been hit hard all year, posting a -0.7 bWAR, a 2-5 record, a 6.87 ERA, a 66 ERA+, and a 1.43 WHIP.
He opened the season in the bullpen and was shaky there, then moved into the rotation at the start of June and somehow got worse. As a reliever, he carried a 5.46 ERA, though his 2.60 FIP suggested better underlying work.
As a starter, he has an 8.19 ERA over seven outings, with a 6.13 FIP that still leaves plenty to be desired. He has allowed fewer than three runs only once as a starter, so Arizona should see another opportunity to cash in offensively.
The series wraps on 7/22 at 12:10 PM with Gage Jump against Merrill Kelly. Jump has been one of the few real bright spots for Oakland, putting together a rookie season that has included ten starts and plenty of solid work.
Still, the last stretch has been bumpy: three of his last four starts have ended with four or more runs allowed, and the walks have started to creep up. That gives the Diamondbacks another opening to pressure him.
Kelly’s recent outings have been more encouraging. He has looked closer to himself over his last few starts, allowing a solo homer against both the Cardinals and Padres, with St.
Louis adding two unearned runs, and then giving up just two runs against the Brewers. He also matched his season high with six strikeouts in two of those games, a sign that his full arsenal may be starting to work the way Arizona needs it to.
The bigger picture is straightforward. Arizona has won seven of its last ten, including a sweep of the league-leading Dodgers and that important series win over the Cardinals. The A’s are slumping badly, and the Diamondbacks have every reason to believe this is a series they can control from the start.
In Other News...
Diamondbacks Trade Deadline Reunion Could Change Their Wild Card Push
The Diamondbacks are right in the thick of the National League Wild Card race, tied for the third spot, and the need at first base has become one of the more obvious pressure points on the roster. With the trade deadline approaching, Arizona is at least being connected to a familiar name from the NL West, the kind of player who would make sense if the front office decides it has to add a proven bat to keep pace.
The catch is that the path to a deal still depends on another clubs direction, and that makes this more of a waiting game than a sure thing. Houston is not expected to move into sell mode easily, but if the Astros do change course, the Diamondbacks could find themselves in position to revisit a reunion that would fit both the need and the moment. [Read more 🡒]
D-Backs Just Gave Their Top Pick A First Moment Fans Will Notice
Less than two weeks after Arizona used its first-round pick on catcher Helfrick, he was already taking his first batting practice at Chase Field, a small but meaningful early step for a player the organization clearly wants to get comfortable in its own building. The moment mattered less for the swings themselves than for the setting, with the rookie getting an immediate taste of the major league environment that awaits him if his development keeps moving in the right direction.
Manager Torey Lovullo sounded encouraged by what the Diamondbacks saw from Helfrick right away, pointing to the catchers presence and the way he carries himself as signs he can grow into a professional player. For a club that values players who can handle the demands of the position and fit the organizations style, getting that first look in person so soon after the draft was a notable early checkpoint, even if the bigger questions about how quickly he rises are still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Kohl Drake Just Gave Diamondbacks Fans A Reason To Believe
Kohl Drakes first big league outing gave the Diamondbacks a little more than a box-score debut to file away. The left-hander worked five innings, allowed one run and four hits, and struck out five in a steady showing that fit the kind of development Arizona has been banking on since acquiring him in a previous trade.
What stood out most was the poise he showed when the game tightened, the sort of moment that can tell a staff a young pitcher belongs. For a Diamondbacks organization trying to keep its pitching pipeline moving, Drakes debut offered a glimpse of a starter who could matter beyond one night, even if the bigger question is how quickly he can keep building on it. [Read more 🡒]