Atlanta @ Arizona preview
Chase Field
Last Meeting ( Jul 6, 2014 ) Arizona 3, Atlanta 1
Paul Goldschmidt hopes his hot hitting in Milwaukee this weekend carries over when the Arizona Diamondbacks return home to open a seven-game homestand Monday against the Atlanta Braves. Goldschmidt blasted three homers and finished 9-for-14 against the Brewers, collecting three hits in Sunday’s 17-inning defeat.
Arizona has played 13 of its past 16 games away from home, and looks to win for the ninth time in 14 games in a matchup of teams trying to stay competitive in their respective division races. Arizona sits six games behind Los Angeles in the National League West, while Atlanta trails Washington by three games in the NL East. The Braves have righted themselves after losing four of the first five games of a 10-game road swing, winning back-to-back games against defending World Series champion San Francisco. Newly acquired third baseman Juan Uribe has two homers, four RBIs and four runs scored in five games with his new team.
TV: 9:40 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Atlanta), FSN Arizona (Phoenix)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves LH Alex Wood (3-2, 3.50 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks RH Archie Bradley (2-2, 5.28)
Wood has shaved more than a half a run off his ERA with back-to-back stellar starts, beating the Marlins on May 16 and – after skipping a start due to the flu – topping the Dodgers on Wednesday. Wood, who was 1-2 with a 4.32 ERA after six starts, went seven innings in each of his past two outings, allowing only two earned runs on 14 hits with seven strikeouts. Wood has made four appearances (one start) lifetime against Arizona, going 0-1 with a 2.00 ERA.
Bradley won two of his first four major-league starts in April, but has struggled since being hit in the face with a line drive April 28 by Colorado’s Carlos Gonzalez. The 22-year-old is 0-2 with an 11.81 ERA in three starts since returning from the disabled list, surrendering 14 runs on 19 hits in 10 2/3 innings. Bradley, the seventh overall pick of the 2011 draft, gave up six runs on five hits in 3 2/3 innings in a loss Tuesday at St. Louis.
WALK-OFFS
1. Atlanta 1B Freddie Freeman did not start Sunday but came on as a defensive replacement in the seventh and homered in the ninth, extending his MLB-leading consecutive games streak to 218.
2. Arizona CF A.J. Pollock hit .408 in his final 12 games in May with 12 runs scored.
3. The Diamondbacks’ bullpen pitched 11 1/3 innings in Sunday’s marathon loss.
PREDICTION: Braves 5, Diamondbacks 3