Diamondbacks Veterans Need to Step Up in Wild Card Chase

The Diamondbacks enter play in a virtual four way tie for the Wild Card with the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants, while the Marlins sit just a half-game back. They're coming off a very tough series in New York, where they dropped the final three games of the series. With just 14 games left in the season, the D-backs will need their veteran players to step up as they chase a Wild Card berth. The first of these 14 remaining comes tonight against the Chicago Cubs.

Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly were each lit up for seven runs in their start against the Mets, a trend the team is hoping doesn't continue as the duo will make three more starts before the season. While they won't pitch in this series, their poor performances in New York has put extra pressure on the young starters going for Arizona this weekend. Christian Walker endured a rough road trip, going 2-for-28 at the plate. Evan Longoria is batting .175 (7-for-40) since coming off the injured list on August 21st. The D-backs will need both of them to figure it out and get hot down the stretch.

D-backs manager Torey Lovullo had this to say about veteran players perhaps trying too hard to execute:

"Is anybody putting too much pressure on themselves to execute? The answer to me should be no. Because what I ask for them to do from Day 1 is learn how to execute, talk about execution at the most critical points of the game, of the season. Think about it, practice it, do mental jumping jacks trying to get used to that, and just stand on the foundation you've built. Stand on who are, what you believe in."

Pitching Matchup

Pfaadt will face the Chicago Cubs for the second time in a row. Last time out, he came out of the bullpen and allowed three home runs to the first five batters faced that allowed the Cubs to blow the game open. Home runs have been a huge problem for the rookie right-hander, as he's given up 20 in 80 2/3 innings (2.2 HR/9). The key will be hitting the edges of the strike zone with his mid-90s fastball and locating the sweeper to the bottom two corners. The Cubs are 16th in MLB in home run rate, with 3.1% of their plate appearances ending with round trippers.

Justin Steele enters today as the frontrunner for the National League Cy Young award thanks to a league-leading 16 wins and second in ERA at 2.49. When taking a look at his ERA and adjusting for the ballpark, Steele's 180 ERA+ is tops amongst all major league pitchers. Last week he held Arizona to just one run in seven innings, a game Arizona would eventually win 3-2 in extra innings. Steele heavily relies on two pitches, a 4-seam fastball in the low-90s and a slider that account for over 96% of his arsenal, that he works to the glove side of the plate (in to RHB, away to LHB).

Lineups

Despite a left-handed pitcher on the mound, shortstop Jordan Lawlar is not in today's starting lineup. Lovullo feels the game right now is a bit too fast for the D-backs top prospect. Lawlar was participating in many different defensive drills with Tony Perezchica before the game.

D-backs Bullpen

Scott McGough and Joe Mantiply threw 27 and 32 pitches in yesterday's loss to the Mets, so they may avoid going their way. The rest of the bullpen should be a full go. Since the D-backs haven't played in a close game of late, Kevin Ginkel and Paul Sewald haven't seen much action lately.