PHOENIX – Arizona will look to hit the reset button, not the panic button on Friday night as the Diamondbacks to get ready to face off against the Washington Nationals at Chase Field.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!
May 28, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Detailed view of the jersey of Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll (7) against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
This week included a lot of storylines for this D-Backs ball club, from optioning their top prospect and bullpen arm to Triple-A Reno to some viewing head coach Torey Lovullo on the hot seat. Tuning out the noise and focusing on correcting the issues at hand will be paramount this weekend.
Friday’s mound matchups:
Merrill Kelly will be a breath of fresh air for the D-Backs, as Arizona will be banking on Kelly to have another stellar outing. The month of May has been kind to Kelly except for the loss against the Mets. He got knocked around in the seventh inning in his last outing against the St. Louis Cardinals, but has been a reliable presence in this starting rotation. His cramping issues are a thing of the past, and if Kelly can stay healthy and keep on the same path he has been on, his 5-2 record and 3.52 ERA will only continue to get better.
May 24, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Merrill Kelly (29) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
The Nationals will be having right-hander Jake Irvin on the mound on Friday night. Irvin has been relying on his curveball, though his arsenal includes a sinker, a mid-tier fastball, and throws in some changeups and cutters as well. He comes into Friday with a 4-1 record and a 3.42 ERA. In Irvins’ most recent start, he pitched eight innings with only giving up three hits and didn’t allow a run to the San Francisco Giants.
May 28, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Arizona is coming off of losing their last three series in a row, and Washington is rolling into Friday winning eight of their previous 11 games. The D-Backs will need to focus and find ways to attack this Nationals team that has been aggressive and on point as of late.
Get the BEST Phoenix sports insider information, and exclusive content. SIGN UP HERE to unlock our premium content!*
Reporter Benjamin Bliklen covers the Arizona Diamondbacks and Arizona Cardinals for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @BenBliklen
