Game Preview #62: Diamondbacks at Nationals

The Diamondbacks are in Washington tonight for game two of a three game series against the Nationals. First pitch is 4:05 P.M. Arizona Time, 7:05 P.M. EST. The D-backs took the opener 10-5.

Arizona currently sits atop the NL West standings with a 36-25 record, one game clear of the Dodgers. As we reported earlier today, General Manager Mike Hazen is already engaged in trade deadline discussions as a buyer, looking to improve his club for the second half and stretch run. The Nationals languish in last place, 10 games under .500 and 11 games out in the AL East.

Pitching Matchup

Zach Davies has been credited with just two pitcher wins in 31 starts since joining the Diamondbacks. (2-6 career with Arizona). The last one came on May 13th, 2022 against the Cubs. In his last 24 starts he has just 5 decisions, all of them losses. He doesn't often go past the 5th inning, and his run prevention isn't great. But he's also had some bad luck with run support and bullpen support. While even when he pitches well, it hasn't quite worked out for him personally, The team is 3-1 in his starts this year, and was 11-16 last year, for a combined 14-17. So it could be a lot worse. He's is usually competitive enough to keep the team in the game more times than not.

Former Diamondbacks Patrick Corbin is actually having his best season since 2019 when he first joined the Nationals and helped them to the playoffs and world series by going 14-7 with a 3.25 ERA. Since the 2020 season, in 85 starts, he's 21-47, with a 5.68 ERA, posting -2 WAR. This year he actually had a four consecutive start stretch in May where he went six or more innings, allowing just two runs in each start. But in his last two outings he's given up 10 runs in 11.1 innings.

Corbin still throws his sinker 92 MPH, almost exactly the same as he did when he was with the D-backs. He is less reliant on his slider over the last two seasons. But teams are hitting .362 on the sinker and .172 against the slider. So this may not be the best plan of attack for him.

Lineups

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is not in the lineup for the 3rd straight game due to groin tightness. Torey Lovullo said he was available to pinch hit, but he was not needed in the contest. There isn't much head to head track record against Corbin for most of the players in the lineup tonight. Evan Longoria had 12 of his 15 PA against the left hander back in 2018. Ketel Marte is three for six and has homered against Corbin twice however. Once last year on July 22nd in a 10-1 blowout victory, and also in May 2019.

There is even less head to head data for current Nationals batters against Davies, except for Corey Dickerson who is 4-15 with a double. No current National has homered against Davies.