The Diamondbacks get another chance to steady themselves when they open a three-game set against the Reds on Thursday night, and on paper, this is the kind of series they ought to control.
Arizona is coming off a series loss to the Red Sox, dropping two of three before salvaging the finale with a solid extra-innings win. Cincinnati, meanwhile, has drifted further out of the picture.
The Reds are sitting in last place in the NL Central, 18 games behind the Brewers and seven games back of the Padres for the NL Wild Card. They’ve gone 4-6 over their last 10 and are just kind of coasting.
The opener on 8/21 at 6:40 PM gives the Diamondbacks their best shot to set the tone. Eduardo Rodriguez, who owns a 4.4 bWAR, a 12-4 record, a 2.71 ERA, a 155 ERA+ and a 1.21 WHIP, takes the ball against Nick Lodolo, who enters at 1.3 bWAR, 3-2, with a 4.52 ERA, 95 ERA+ and 1.42 WHIP.
Rodriguez had one stumble against the Padres, but he’s been right back to his usual self since then. He worked seven innings of two-run ball against the Dodgers and struck out a season-high nine, then followed that with six innings of two-run work against the Braves.
The numbers are strong across the board, but the most telling one might be the team’s 19-6 record in his starts. He’s given Arizona a chance to win just about every time he’s taken the mound.
Lodolo missed a month because of a blister and has made two starts since returning. The first one went sideways, with four runs allowed in four innings.
The next was a rebound, as he held the Marlins scoreless over five innings in his most recent outing. This will be his second look at Arizona this season after he threw 5.1 innings against them on June 12, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk.
Game 2 on 8/22 at 5:10 PM has Michael Soroka lined up against a starter to be determined. Soroka has handled his return from a 51-day layoff better than most pitchers do.
His first outing back lasted 4.1 innings, but he didn’t allow a run against the Rockies and struck out four while navigating three walks. The next time out, he faced a tougher test and limited the Braves to two runs in 5.2 innings.
It wasn’t enough for a win, but he did his job well enough to keep Arizona in it before the bullpen let the game slip away.
The series wraps on 8/23 at 1:15 PM with Mitch Bratt facing Andrew Abbott. Bratt, who has posted a 0.3 bWAR, a 1-2 record, a 4.17 ERA, a 101 ERA+ and a 1.47 WHIP, has looked like a textbook No. 5 starter.
He’s had his rough patches, and his last outing against the Red Sox was one of them: three innings, three runs, and three walks. That walk total is the real concern.
He’s issued 16 free passes over his last five starts, and that’s the one area he needs to clean up. Beyond that, he’s been serviceable.
Abbott, at 2.3 bWAR, 6-8, with a 4.07 ERA, 105 ERA+ and 1.40 WHIP, has been fairly steady since the start of July. Most of the time, he gives up about three runs in around five innings, with a handful of walks and somewhere between four and six strikeouts.
That’s been the shape of roughly 75% of his games over the last month and a half. There have been a couple better outings, and a few worse ones, but that’s the line to expect.
It’s not fair to call this a must-win series, because every game from here on out carries that label until the magic or tragic number hits zero. Still, the Diamondbacks should like their chances on the mound.
The matchups lean their way, especially in the rotation. The bigger question is whether Torey Lovullo can keep the off-field noise from creeping in and keep the group locked in on the field.
If he can do that, he’ll have a strong case for another year on the top step of the dugout.
In Other News...
Ketel Martes Diamondbacks Absence Just Got Even More Confusing
Ketel Martes latest absence has become one of the more unusual developments in the Diamondbacks season, with Arizona shifting the veteran infielder from the restricted list to the 10-day injured list after he missed a game because of left knee soreness and a personal matter. Marte has already undergone an MRI on the knee, and the club says he should return once he is healthy, but for now the situation leaves the team trying to manage both the baseball and human sides of the issue.
The Diamondbacks also decided to pay Marte during this stretch, a move that reflects the personal reasons behind his time away as much as the physical concern. For a team that leans heavily on Martes presence when he is available, the uncertainty matters beyond one roster spot, because Arizona still has to wait for clearer answers before it knows when one of its most important players will be back on the field. [Read more 🡒]
D-Backs Add Infield Depth As Bigger Question Starts Looming
The Diamondbacks have added another layer of infield insurance, signing Santiago Espinal to a minor league contract and sending him to Triple-A Reno. Espinal had been on the market since his release by the Texas Rangers in late July, and he now gives Arizona a veteran utility option after spending time this season with both Texas and the Dodgers.
For a club already juggling injuries and uncertainty at second and third base, the move fits the moment even if it does not settle the bigger picture. Espinals arrival gives the organization another experienced name to lean on in the minors, while the more pressing question remains how Arizona sorts out the infield before the situation demands a more permanent answer. [Read more 🡒]