Diamondbacks Begin NL West Gauntlet on the Road vs Dodgers

The D-backs will have six crucial games ahead of them against two of their division rivals.

May 22, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker (53) runs the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the sixth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Diamondbacks enjoy a day off, following their series victory against the Oakland Athletics. They've moved up to 41-43, and are 2.5 games out of a Wild Card spot, but the road ahead won't get much easier, beginning with a three-game set against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

While every series might be considered "crucial" for the D-backs at a time where each game inches them closer or drops them further away from a potential playoff spot, Arizona will need to put their best effort forward to stay afloat against the juggernaut Dodgers, with perhaps one of the biggest series of the year so far next up in San Diego.

As is to be expected, the Dodgers have offered the D-backs a tough challenge this season, although the season series is knotted at three games apiece.

The Dodgers took two of three at Chase field in April, and the Diamondbacks returned the favor with a dominant-looking series victory at Dodger Stadium in May, facing a couple of LA's best arms.

Now, Arizona will return to Chavez Ravine, looking to continue their streak of success at Dodger Stadium, dating back to last year's NLDS.

The D-backs' starting rotation is still relatively weak with the absence of Eduardo Rodriguez and Merrill Kelly, and Jordan Montgomery's struggles continue, however, Arizona will also be presented with an opportunity to face some of the Dodgers' less intimidating starters.

Pitching Matchups

Tuesday, July 2nd, RHP Ryne Nelson vs RHP Bobby Miller

Ryne Nelson has continued his up-and-down pattern, putting together a couple of very strong starts, before imploding in his most recent start. In back-to-back starts, he put together 13 strong innings, picking up 10 strikeouts and allowing just three runs.

His last outing saw him give up 10 hits and six runs in 3 2/3 innings vs the Minnesota Twins. His ERA hasn't budged much from the mid-5.00 range at 5.69, and opponents are hitting .314 against him. He'll need to be sharp against an elite top end of the Dodgers' order, and could have a very short leash with the bullpen rested after a day off.

Bobby Miller hasn't looked particularly sharp this season, with a 6.75 ERA and 5.46 FIP, although he's only pitched 20 innings over five starts. He only went two innings his last time out, giving up four hits, three walks and three runs. The D-backs will have a shot to get an early lead against a shaky young pitcher, but have to tack on plenty of runs in order to try and keep up with LA's high-powered offense.

Wednesday, July 3rd, LHP Jordan Montgomery vs RHP Gavin Stone

This matchup, on paper, will be the most lopsided one against the D-backs of the series. Montgomery has struggled in the majority of his starts, most recently getting blown up by the Minnesota Twins, where he allowed eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits over just 2 2/3 innings.

A costly error by Kevin Newman at third base may have spurred the inning on longer than it should have gone, but Montgomery's ERA is still 6.44, and the fact is that he just has not been his effective self with the D-backs this year.

Prior to his last outing, I examined Montgomery's tendency to leave balls in the heart of the zone, and how frequently they're getting destroyed. That problem only seems to be worsening for now, unless he can work out his location issues or add some movement to his pitches.

Gavin Stone had a rough beginning to his season, but has leveled out into a very effective arm for the Dodgers. Since a tough April, he's posted a 1.97 ERA in back-to-back months, logging an impressive complete game shutout in his most recent start against the White Sox, throwing just 103 pitches and allowing four hits.

Stone could offer a strong challenge for the D-backs, although he does walk a decent amount of batters. His high strikeout rate and low WHIP necessitate patient at-bats and waiting for the right pitch to hit.

Thursday, July 4th, RHP Zac Gallen vs RHP Landon Knack

The D-backs have sorely missed their ace Zac Gallen in recent weeks. After returning from his hamstring injury, Gallen logged one of the most brilliant outings in recent memory, going six shutout innings on only 77 pitches, allowing just one hit and striking out seven against the A's.

An off day made it possible for manager Torey Lovullo to slot Gallen into Slade Cecconi's scheduled start, at a time where the D-backs need to put their best arms forward.

Both his stuff and velocity looked sharper than before, as he touched 97 MPH with his fastball, throwing two of the fastest pitches of his career. He lowered his ERA to 2.83 and his WHIP to 1.07. The D-backs desperately need the ace to continue this trajectory as they still sport a top-heavy rotation.

Landon Knack has only pitched six starts for the Dodgers, but he's been very good in those starts. He hasn't allowed more than two runs in a start yet, although he's also only surpassed the fifth inning once.

Arizona put up just one run against him on a solo shot the last time they faced him at Chase Field, although the D-backs did go on to win that "Bee Game" in walk-off fashion in extra innings, but not due to a poor start by Knack.

His 2.08 ERA and 0.96 WHIP are intimidating, but his more than double 4.21 FIP does suggest he's benefited from some batted ball luck and could be due for regression. Once again, getting to him early will be key for Arizona.

Offensive Notes

Obviously, the Dodgers have an All-Star core of top-end hitters, with Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani headlining the squad. Betts has been out since June 17th however due to a fractured left hand from a hit by pitch.

That said, the D-backs had done a relatively solid job keeping that big three in check. The Ohtani-Freeman-Betts trio has hit a combined 15-for-65 (.231) in six games against the D-backs this season, with eight RBI and just one homer.

The majority of that success has, unsurprisingly, been off the bat of Ohtani, as he's gone 6-for-20 (.300) against Arizona, while Freeman is just 4-for-24, .167 this year. Will Smith has just five hits against D-backs pitching this year, but three of them are homers and the other two are doubles.

Naturally, this will be a significant challenge for the Diamondbacks, but their pitching staff has been mostly up to the task of handling these offensive weapons so far.