The Arizona Diamondbacks have had a tough schedule lately, and it's one that simply isn't getting any easier.

When looking at the National League Wild Card race, the clear favorite to land the top seed is the Chicago Cubs.

With just about five weeks left before the regular season comes to an end, there's still plenty of time for a major shakeup to occur.

That could either mean the Cubs end up winning the NL Central and push the Milwaukee Brewers to a Wild Card spot, or it could mean a team like the Cubs suffers a major setback while the D-backs keep up their winning ways and climb the ladder.

It's worth noting Arizona has won three of their last four, and they've won two of their last three series, which includes taking two out of three against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park.

The Cubs were extremely aggressive at the trade deadline, and that included cutting a deal with the Toronto Blue Jays for 35-year-old Kevin Gausman.

Gausman is set to make his fourth start with the Cubs. He's currently 1-1 with a brutal 6.19 ERA, which has contributed to a -0.2 WAR, something the Cubs never expected when they brought him in.

He'll go toe-to-toe with Merrill Kelly, a Diamondbacks veteran who hasn't gone deeper than five innings since July 9 and has taken a loss in three of his last four starts.

Brandon Pfaadt is set to take the mound in game two of the series against Clay Holmes. Holmes brings a stellar 2.49 ERA to the table, but Pfaadt is a player who was in that same conversation until he gave up five earned runs in 5.2 innings against the Boston Red Sox.

After throwing seven scoreless innings against the Braves, that was tough to see and unexpected, to say the least. 

A true pitcher's duel is set for the series finale as Eduardo Rodriguez, this team's unexpected ace in 2026, puts his 13-4 record and 2.61 ERA to the test against Matthew Boyd, who sits at 8-2 with a 4.15 ERA.

Boyd, 35, is in his second year with the Cubs, but he's beginning to trend in the wrong direction. If Rodriguez has his best stuff, Arizona could steal the series finale, knowing Boyd has given up 17 earned runs in his last 25 innings of work.