The Diamondbacks will be traveling to Dodger Stadium for the first time since taking Games 1 and 2 of the National League Division Series last October. That venue has been a house of errors for Arizona recently, with a 5-24 record since the 2020 season. Last season, they went 2-5 and were outscored 43-12.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!It won’t be any easier in 2024. The Dodgers are coming off a spending spree that includes two Japanese-born star players Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, tonight’s starting pitcher. The two players accounted for more than a billion dollars spent in contracts, raising the expectations for winning a World Series during a 162-game regular season. The Dodgers have won 100+ games in the last three seasons, but have not gotten past the National League Championship Series.
The Diamondbacks will be employing a different approach in this game. Instead of a traditional starter, they will start the game with left-hander Joe Mantiply on the mound. Rookie right-hander Slade Cecconi will follow, pitching in bulk relief.
Times through the order has been an issue for Cecconi. First time through the order, he’s holding opposing hitters to a .023 average (1-for-43) with a .090 OPS. However, once the lineup turns over those numbers jump to a .385 average and a 1.239 OPS. That’s a problem the Diamondbacks are hoping to figure out, and keep Cecconi in the starting rotation long-term. While he exhibits a solid ability to throw strikes, his ability to execute pitches is still inconsistent once hitters figure out what locations to look for.
Starting Lineups
Game Notes
Diamondbacks
- Ketel Marte enters the game with an 18-game hitting streak. The streak is the longest of his career, his previous high being 16 games in 2022.
- Shortstop Kevin Newman continues his hot streak, batting .400 in his last six games.
- Slade Cecconi has never fasted the Dodgers before in his career.
- Joc Pederson went 3-for-3 at the plate against Yamamoto on May 1.
- Joe Mantiply was the Diamondbacks’ lone All-Star when the game was at Dodger Stadium in 2022.
Dodgers
- Yamamoto defeated the Diamondbacks on May 1, pitching six scoreless innings on five hits, two walks, and five strikeouts. Arizona lost 8-0.
- Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, and Freddie Freeman are a combined 3-for-11 with five strikeouts against Mantiply, likely prompting the decision for him to start the game.
Bullpen Situation
Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks will be without Ryan Thompson, who threw 30 pitches in two scoreless innings against Detroit in the Diamondbacks series finale victory. Logan Allen and Matt Bowman will also be unavailable due to heavy pitch counts on Friday. Paul Sewald also pitched on Sunday but retired the side in order without much stress. With Mantiply beginning the game and Allen potentially unavailable, Arizona does not have a left-handed reliever available for late-inning situations.
Dodgers
The Dodgers enter the series with a heavily taxed bullpen, putting pressure on Yamamoto to pitch deep in this start. Left-handers Alex Vesia and Ryan Yarbrough threw 27 and 31 pitches against the Reds on Sunday. Daniel Hudson and Michael Grove pitched back-to-back on Friday and Saturday but could be available in the late innings since neither pitched on Sunday. Blake Treinen pitched in two of the last three days. Long man Elieser Hernandez threw 91 pitches on Wednesday, which also likely makes him unavailable to pitch.
The Dodgers have five relievers on the injured list, including Brusdar Graterol, Evan Phillips, and Joe Kelly.
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks and Arizona Cardinals for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
