Diamondbacks Begin Tough Challenge vs Dodgers

The D-backs travel to Chavez Ravine to take on the Dodgers in LA.

Apr 12, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Joe Mantiply throws against / Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

The Diamondbacks are on the road, facing the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. It will be the first time Arizona will face LA on the road since the 2023 National League Division Series. First pitch is at 7:10 PM Arizona time.

Manager Torey Lovullo, rather than throwing right-hander Slade Cecconi right into the fire, is opting to begin with an opener in left-handed veteran reliever Joe Mantiply. With an extremely tough top of the Dodgers order, Mantiply will take the mound to kick things off before more than likely passing the ball to Cecconi for bulk work eventually.

Mantiply's 4.67 ERA doesn't tell the story of how well he's pitched in 2024. While there have been some rough spots, he's been scoreless in 17 of his 21 outings. His ERA had sat at a clean 3.12, but he was shelled in his last outing as the D-backs trotted out three pitchers to record the final out of a horrific inning against the Detroit Tigers.

With a couple of terrifying left-handed hitters in Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman at the 2-3 spot for the Dodgers, Arizona will look to their left-hander to play the early matchup, although Mantiply has a small sample size reverse split so far this year, allowing a .281/.303/.438 slash to left-hand bats and a .229/.325/.343 to righties. For his Career he has a .614 OPS vs. LHB, and .810 vs. RHB.

Behind him, Cecconi's 5.27 ERA also tells a different story than what has defined him, although it's a bit more nuanced. Cecconi has been nearly perfect the first time through the order, allowing an .023 average against, with just one hit and two walks the first time through.

That 0.00 early ERA drops off to an insane 10.85, and a 1.239 OPS the second time through. While he has the stuff to get any batters out, he's noted that he tends to lose velocity as he tries to spot his pitches as he gets deeper into games. Hopefully, with a head start given by Mantiply as the opener, Cecconi can survive a little longer against a plethora of heavy Dodgers hitters.

On the other side, right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start for LA. Yamamoto has pitched generally well, with a 3.21 ERA in nine starts, although his most recent outing saw him get touched up for four runs and two walks over 5 2/3 innings. He still features a diverse, strikeout-heavy arsenal, and went six shutout innings against Arizona in their last matchup.

Corbin Carroll remains in the leadoff spot, after tripling in back-to-back games. His power and deliberate swing appear to be gradually improving, although he's still batting below the Mendoza line and needs to continue to produce to get back to form.

Ketel Marte is riding an 18-game hit streak, the longest active streak in MLB. Should he continue that trend tonight, he'll pass Alec Bohm for the longest streak of the 2024 season. While he hasn't been hitting for volume recently, he's still found ways to get on base and be an impact for Arizona.

Arizona will balance their left- and right-handed bats. Notably, Joc Pederson will DH, after going 3-for-3 in last night's game. Pederson is also the only D-backs hitter to have had legitimate success against Yamamoto, as he was also 3-for-3 in their last meeting.

Pederson is slashing an impressive .317/.421/.558 with a .979 OPS, and his plate discipline and ability to hit for contact have seemed to leverage well against his natural ability to slug for power.

There are few surprises in the Dodgers' lineup, as they opt for a balance of righties and lefties rather than playing a platoon. Their top four remains untouched. Arizona will have its hands full in managing the Betts-Ohtani-Freeman trio at the top of the order, and although LA has found ways to produce elsewhere, the ever-present threat of their Big Three will be a crucial aspect of this series.