The Arizona Diamondbacks will return home Friday night to open a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds with hopes of nudging back into a National League wild-card spot.
The team came back to Phoenix after losing two of three games against the Red Sox in Boston without All-Star infielder Ketel Marte, who worried the Diamondbacks when he didn’t show up at Fenway Park for Monday’s game.
In an odd series of events, Marte was placed on the restricted list, then moved to the 10-day injured list on Thursday after an MRI showed inflammation in his left knee.
The club still hasn’t revealed much about the Marte situation, even after Marte, his agent, Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen and manager Torey Lovullo met Thursday afternoon.
“I’m not gonna get into specifics,” Hazen said of the discussion. “I feel like the conversation and meeting was productive. We discussed the last week. That, obviously, I’m not going to get into. He’ll talk to his teammates at some point, and we’ll go from there.”
Now, the Diamondbacks will try to turn the focus back to the field and to the Reds after a week of unforeseen occurrences. On Wednesday night, after their 7-6, 10-inning win over the Red Sox, the players were forced to spend the night in Las Vegas when their plane was re-routed due to thunderstorms in Phoenix.
For the Diamondbacks, it’s back to business.
“We’re going to be fine no matter who’s in that lineup,” Lovullo said. “We got 26 engaged dogs out there that want to win a baseball game, and that’s all I care about.
Arizona’s Eduardo Rodriguez (12-4, 2.71 ERA) is set to oppose fellow left-hander Nick Lodolo (3-2, 4.52) in the series opener on Friday.
The Diamondbacks (67-61) are one game behind the San Diego Padres (68-60) and three behind the Philadelphia Phillies (70-58) for the NL’s final two wild-card spots. Arizona entered play last Saturday tied with the Padres for the second wild card.
The Reds, meanwhile, have lost five of their past seven games, most recently an excruciating 10-9 home loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday when Reds center fielder Dane Myers dropped a fly ball with two outs and two on in the ninth and the Reds leading 5-4. From there, the Reds scored four more times, but reliever Brock Burke was charged with six unearned runs and the loss.
“He just didn’t look it into his glove,” Reds manager Terry Francona said of Myers. “‘(Burke) probably had a little bit of a letdown there. He thinks not only is the inning over, the game’s over.”
The Reds’ attempt to climb back from a 10-5 deficit in the bottom of the ninth fell just short.
Now, the Reds must deal with Rodriguez. He has made 16 quality starts, tied for fourth in the majors, and has beaten the division-leading Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves in his past two outings.
He has faced the Reds once this year, when he walked a season-high five batters in 2 2/3 innings of the Diamondbacks’ 5-2 road win on June 12. Rodriguez threw 40 pitches in the first inning and 85 overall in the short stint.
Rodriguez is 1-1 with a 3.05 ERA in four career starts against Cincinnati.
Lodolo will make his third start after being sidelined by a recurring blister on his left index finger. He gave up three hits in five scoreless innings the last time out, walking away with a no-decision in the Reds’ 7-1 loss to Miami on Sunday. He threw 73 pitches before being pulled.
“I understand it,” Lodolo said. “It’s a process, and I’m building up.”
Lodolo went head-to-head with Rodriguez on June 12, giving up two runs in 5 1/3 innings and taking a no-decision in Cincinnati’s loss. He is 0-0 with a 3.97 ERA in two career starts against Arizona.
–Field Level Media
