Diamondbacks Need Eduardo Rodriguez to Step Up vs Astros

The D-backs are slumping and need a good outing from the veteran left-hander to help turn things around

Aug 7, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez (57) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Arizona Diamondbacks will attempt to bounce on Saturday afternoon back from an 8-0 drubbing at the hands of the Houston Astros the previous night. The game is at Minute Maid Park in Houston, first pitch is 1:10 p.m., MST, 3:10 p.m. CT.

The Diamondbacks are in a funk, having lost six of their last nine games. Their lead over the Braves and the Mets in the NL Wild Card has shrunk to just 1.5 games. If they end up with the same record as either of those teams at the end of the season, they could be out of the playoffs, as both of them hold the tiebreaker advantage over Arizona due to superior head to head record.

LINEUPS

Game 143.https://t.co/epBmrbYHsx | https://t.co/k9Xjx1ui6d pic.twitter.com/T9Dhc72EB5

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) September 7, 2024

Ketel Marte is back atop the order at DH for the second straight game. He went 3-for-3 with a homer against Yusei Kikuchi in a July game at Chase Field. Jose Herrera is behind the plate after being removed from Friday's game due to precautionary reasons. He was hit on the head by a backswing from Kyle Tucker.

Randal Grichuk, who is the number three hitter, has the most plate appearances against Kikuchi among hitters in the lineup, but is just 2-for-10 with a walk. Christian Walker is playing first base and batting cleanup for the second straight day.

MLB's best offense, with a league leading 5.39 Runs per game, has just 13 hits in 91 at bats over their last three games (.143 BA).

Meanwhile, Eduardo Rodriguez and the bullpen will need to find a way to navigate the Astros lineup so as not to let Yordan Alvarez get a chance to hurt them. He hit two homers and drove in six runs Friday night. He's batting .310 with 32 homers, 79 RBI, and a .970 OPS. He's hit seven homers in his last nine games.

PITCHING MATCHUP

Eduardo Rodriguez LHP: 2-1, 5.33 ERA, 4.72 FiP in 25.1 IP starts for Arizona. Rodriguez was the big off-season free agent acquisition for the Diamondbacks. Signed to a four year, $80 million dollar contract, he was injured in spring training and did not make his first start until August 7th.

Yet to round into form, Rodirguez has not completed six innings in any of his prior five starts, although he's pitched into the sixth three times. In his previous outing the Dodgers ran his pitch count up in four laborious innings in which he needed 92 pitches to record 12 outs. He allowed three runs on seven hits in a loss.

Rodriguez is 1-6 with a 7.38 ERA in 10 career starts against the Astros. He faced the Astros at Minute Maid Park last year and went 4.2 innings allowing four runs six hits and two walks, including two homers. Needless to say, this is not a good matchup for Rodriguez.

Rodriguez throws a 91.8 MPH fastball 42% of the time and his changeup 25%. His most oft-used breaking pitch is the cutter at 16%, but location mistakes have led to that pitch being hit hard. Rodriguez needs to have pinpoint command on the edges of the zone to generate soft contact as he's striking out a career low 6.0/9 batters.

Yusei Kikuchi LHP, 7-9, 4.24 ERA, 3.48 FIP in 150.2 IP. Acquired from the Blue Jays by the Astros at the trade deadline, the Japanese left-hander has been magnificent for Houston. He's 3-0 in six starts with a 2.57 ERA, 2.84 FIP and 0.943 WHIP. The Astros have won all six of his starts.

The Diamondbacks faced him on July 14th this year while he was still with the Blue Jays. He was cruising through four innings, but the D-backs exploded for seven runs in the fifth.

He's no soft tossing lefty. Kikuchi throws a 95.6 MPH four-seamer 49% of the time. Batters have hit .283 with a .510 slug against the pitch however. He throws a slider, change, and curve as well. The slider and change have great numbers, with just .210 and .188 BA against respectively.

BULLPENS

The only silver lining from Friday night's game for the D-backs is they were able to let Jordan Montgomery eat three innings in relief and didn't have to dip into any of their other relievers except Joe Mantiply, who faced one batter.

Astros closer Josh Hader has not pitched in over a week. Due to the blowout nature and long outing from Framber Valdez Friday night, only two middle relievers were required to work for the Astros. Thus their leverage bullpen is fully rested for any close game.