The Arizona Diamondbacks face a grueling test against the Milwaukee Brewers' elite rotation and scorching hitters, but a fatigued bullpen could give the D-backs the edge they need at home.
The Arizona Diamondbacks were able to enjoy a day off, one that gave them time to process their first loss of the season to the San Francisco Giants.
Now, the D-Backs are set to host the National League Central division leaders, the Milwaukee Brewers.
Chase Field has a chance to see veteran Brandon Woodruff do his thing on the 4th of July, but Kyle Harrison takes the mound first and he's quietly been one of the best pitchers in the entire league this season.
Overall, the Brewers are 52-32 and are 24-14 on the road. This is their first time not playing at American Family Field since Wednesday, June 24, and it's also worth noting this is their eighth straight game as part of an 18 game stretch in 17 days.
Eighth Straight Game for Milwaukee
The Brewers knew they were in for it heading into the All-Star break, but at some point this pitching staff is going to take a huge hit. Injuries have certainly been a factor this season, but bullpen fatigue is real, and the Diamondbacks may be able to exploit that in this series.
Brandon Sproat is the lone pitcher that tends to not go super deep into games for Milwaukee, but that could pave the way for an easy series finale victory, especially knowing the D-Backs have Eduardo Rodriguez listed as the starter for that game on Sunday, July 5.
Expect Kyle Harrison to Set the Tone
Milwaukee has no shortage of incredible starting pitchers, and Harrison fits the build. He comes to Arizona with a stellar 8-1 record with a 2.57 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. Starting pitching is the name of the game for the Brewers, as seen in the past with stars such as Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta.
The Diamondbacks would love to chase Harrison early. He's coming off a 5.0 inning start on Saturday, June 27, and it's worth noting he hasn't gone 7.0 innings in a game since Wednesday, May 20.
Watch Out for Garrett Mitchell
Mitchell is on an absolute heater, and that could put Rodriguez in danger in the series finale. He hits lefties extremely well, and he's one of the many explosive hitters on this lineup that gets hot on a moments notice.
The 27-year-old outfielder is slashing .714/.750/1.714 in the month of July with a 2.464 OPS. Obviously, that comes in a two-game sample size, but he was 4-for-4 on Wednesday, July 1, finishing with a pair of doubles and a triple.
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