The Arizona Diamondbacks must find a way to beat the Atlanta Braves, and there are ways to do it.
The Arizona Diamondbacks missed out on a few wins against the struggling Colorado Rockies. Now, they have a much tougher opponent to deal with.
The Diamondbacks allowed Colorado to take the series in their stadium, and now they have to face the Atlanta Braves on Friday to kick off a six-game road trip. This will not only be a crucial series for Arizona, but a difficult one as well.
The implications
The Diamondbacks’ series loss to the Rockies contributed to its drop in the National League Wild Card standings. Arizona held second place for some time as it tried to catch up to the Chicago Cubs, but it has since fallen to fourth behind the San Diego Padres and the Philadelphia Phillies.
The good news for the Diamondbacks is that, heading into Friday’s slate of games, only a half-game separates them from reclaiming their spot in second. However, getting it back is going to be a taller task.
The Braves are tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the third-best record in baseball, and they also possess a 41-21 record at home. If the Diamondbacks could not secure a series win against the Rockies when they had home-field advantage, what is a series against a juggernaut like Atlanta going to look like on the road?
Arizona is going to have to figure out a way, because even after the series against the Braves is over, the Boston Red Sox are up next, occupying the second half of this road trip. Simply put, the difficult stretch is just beginning.
The good news for the Diamondbacks is that right-hander Brandon Pfaadt is on the mound for them to kick off the series against the Braves, and the 27-year-old has been solid this season. In 21 games (11 starts), he has a 6-1 record with a 3.36 ERA.
Arizona’s offense is going to have to show up better than what it did against the Rockies, because the Braves’ starting rotation is not going to hand over anything. According to MLB.com, Atlanta’s starters rank sixth in ERA (3.72) and sixth in opponent batting average (.234).
However, a weakness concerning Atlanta’s starting lineup is how many walks it allows. The Braves' starters have given up 247 walks, which is also sixth in Major League Baseball.
The Diamondbacks are above average at drawing walks, so it will be beneficial for them if they can exploit Atlanta’s flaws to get on base. Arizona’s offense will be tasked with a great level of responsibility if it is to win this series, and it must be ready for the challenge.
