D-backs Strive for Series Victory vs Rival Los Angeles Dodgers

Brandon Hughes starts for Arizona as their opener against Cy Young contender Tyler Glasnow and the Dodgers.

May 21, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks designated hitter Joc Pederson (3) celebrates with shortstop Kevin Newman (18) after hitting a three-run home run in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Diamondbacks are back at Dodger Stadium to take on their rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers in the series finale. The D-backs could win their first series against the Dodgers this year with a win tonight.

They are fresh off a satisfying and potentially best game of their season as they beat the Dodgers 7-3 in all facets of the game last night. They play tonight at 7:10 PM Arizona time on D-backs TV.

The D-backs are 23-26. They are tied with three other teams as they sit a game behind the Padres for the final Wild Card spot. The Dodgers are 33-18 and sit comfortably in first place atop the NL West. The D-backs are 2-1 over their last three games and will look to win again tonight.

There was a roster transaction today with the D-backs recalling left-handed pitcher Brandon Hughes from Triple-A Reno. To make room on the active roster, they optioned out starting pitcher Slade Cecconi.

To find out more about the move, be sure to read all about it.

Starting Pitchers

Hughes is set to start tonight's game as the opener for the D-backs. He will pitch the first inning and hopefully get out superstars Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman, who are both left-handed hitters.

Hughes did this once before in the infamous "Bee Game" on April 30th, in which he went 1-2-3. Arizona ended up winning what became a bullpen game following the bee delay.

However, over the next two games that Hughes appeared in, he struggled over 1.2 innings, in which he gave up six hits and four runs with a walk and four strikeouts. This would lead him to being optioned back to the Reno Aces where he has excelled all season as a multi-inning reliever.

Behind Hughes will be Ryne Nelson, the embattled starter that has been struggling of late. The D-backs are hopeful that with Nelson avoiding the top of the order, he can pitch more effectively and deeper into the game with only facing them twice or even once.

In just 29.1 innings, Nelson has a 7.06 ERA despite going 2-3. His FIP is 4.16, indicating a decent amount of bad luck, but he's been extremely hitter-prone. He's given up tons of loud contact. He's allowed 48 hits and 23 runs with seven walks and 23 strikeouts. His WHIP is sky-high at 1.875.

Nelson has struggled with his location and his ability to induce whiffs from hitters. All four of his main pitches have been hit better than .340 and each of them have an xBA higher than .329 except his four-seamer that has an xBA of .256. The key to success is location, location, and location.

For the Dodgers, Cy Young contender Tyler Glasnow is on the bump. The D-backs hitters will have their hands full trying to hit against him. On the season, the 30-year-old is 6-2 with a 2.90 ERA over 62 innings and 10 games started. He has a 2.56 FIP and 141 ERA+.

He's allowed only 16 walks and 40 hits against 81 strikeouts and a 0.90 WHIP. He leads the league in strikeouts. However, Glasnow struggled his last time out last week against the Reds. He gave up four runs and six hits in just five innings.

Glasnow throws four different pitches, a four seam fastball (53.7%), slider (25.8%), curveball (17%), and sinker (3.5%). None of those four pitches have been hit hard or often. The D-backs will have to work the count and hope for some mistakes to take advantage of.

Starting Lineups

The Dodgers and Diamondbacks starting lineups for Wednesday's game. / Jake Oliver

Ketel Marte is looking to tie Danny Bautista for fourth place on the all-time hitting streak list for the D-backs. He's currently at 20 and is looking to reach 21. He currently has the fifth longest streak in D-backs history, and the longest in MLB this season.

Joc Pederson is looking to stay hot at his former home ballpark. Joc had three RBI and a homer to go with a single against the Dodgers last night. His blast was what ultimately secured the win for Arizona.

Randal Grichuk gets the start tonight over Jake McCarthy with a right-hander on the mound. This most likely is due to Grichuk's success against Glasnow in his career. Over 19 at-bats, Grichuk is hitting just .211, but does have three home runs and six RBI.

Corbin Carroll doubled once again last night and the team is hoping to continue to see him come out of the massive slump that he has been in. He's been hitting the ball with authority and they hope that those balls will start landing on the ground or in the stands soon.

The Dodgers' lineup is their standard lineup with a few shuffles such as Heyward playing tonight and Hernandez filling in for Max Muncy who went on the IL.