Game #53 Preview: D-backs Hope to Avoid Sweep to Red Sox
On Wednesday, the Diamondbacks were riding a four-game winning streak and were one strike away from completing a sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies. Since then, they've lost their past three games as the offense has gone cold at the plate. Since the start of the fourth inning on Wednesday, the team has scored only three runs on 11 hits in their past 25 innings. Now they face the possibility of getting swept themselves against the Boston Red Sox and are hoping to jumpstart their offense once again.
Pitching Matchup
Jack Sommers
Merrill Kelly has been great once again for the D-backs this season, pitching to a 2.98 ERA in 10 starts. After walking 17 batters in his first five starts, he has issued only six more in his next five while striking out 34. The team will need him to continue to pitch well in order to stop this losing streak.
When going good, Kelly can command five different pitches almost equally: 4-seamer, sinker, cutter, curveball, and changeup. He's good at using all of his pitches to attack the edges of the strike zone and uses late movement to avoid the barrel and get swings and misses. His 26.0% strikeout rate would be a career high, easily surpassing the 22.0% mark he set last year.
On the other side, Tanner Houck has been a pitcher who has nasty stuff but hasn't gotten consistent results. The former first rounder in the 2017 MLB Draft has bounced around between the rotation and the bullpen the past two seasons, although he's been in the rotation all season.
Like Kelly, he mixes in five different pitches: 4-seamer, sinker, cutter, slider, and a splitter. He fills up the zone with all three of his fastballs and his slider. When he's got good command, he can wipe out a lineup. The D-backs will need to lay off pitches that start at the bottom of the zone and take advantage of the pitches that are elevated in the strike zone.
Lineups
Notes
The D-backs are using the same lineup as yesterday, the only difference being Christian Walker is back at first base and Pavin Smith is the DH
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had a 17-game hitting streak snapped last night after going 0-for-3. It was the longest hitting streak of his career. He is the only batter to face Houck in his career, although he's 0-for-4.
Ketel Marte enters play with an active on-base streak of 26 games, a career high. Yesterday he drove in the only D-backs run with a solo home run in the first inning off Garrett Whitlock.
The D-backs projected rotation for the Rockies series will be Ryne Nelson on Monday, Zac Gallen on Tuesday, Tommy Henry on Wednesday, and Zach Davies on Thursday.
Drey Jameson will pitch out of the bullpen as a long reliever, the same role he began the season in. Lovullo has stated the team wants to try to keep him stretched out as much as possible if he's needed again in the starting rotation.
