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The Arizona Diamondbacks face the Los Angeles Dodgers for the final game of their four-game series at Dodger Stadium. At the time of writing, the Dodgers narrowly escaped with the victory against the D-backs after a valiant ninth-inning comeback attempt by Arizona. The Diamondbacks fell to 18-18 while the Dodgers improved to 22-12.
Dodgers ace Walker Buehler will face Arizona's Zach Davies on the mound. Buehler is 4-1 this season, and Davies holds a 2-1 record.
Match Details
Fixture: Arizona Diamondbacks vs Los Angeles Dodgers
Date & Time: Wednesday, May 18, 4:10 p.m. EDT
Venue: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California
Arizona Diamondbacks Preview
The Arizona Diamondbacks have superceded expectations this season. They have admirably pulled themselves from the low expectations that the experts predicted for them during the preseason. They have an even 18-18 record that is good for fourth place in the stacked National League West.
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The D-backs' batting has been underwhelming and is close to rock bottom in all of the team's batting stats. The pitching, on the other hand, has been the biggest surprise and has anchored the team so far. They have a respectable 3.58 ERA with 127 earned runs. It will be a tough matchup in this series-ender, but as the D-backs have shown so far, they can trade with the Dodgers blow-for-blow.
Key Player - Daulton Varsho
The D-backs' best offensive weapon this season is their catcher. Daulton Varsho has spent time in both the outfield and as a backstop and has produced the best numbers in Arizona's batting order. Varsho has blasted six homers, seven doubles, and 16 RBIs on 29 base hits and has stolen three bases.
"Top bWAR by #Dbacks position players through 35 team games: 1.6 - Daulton Varsho (33 games)" - @ D-backs facts & stats
It would be a tall task for Varsho to generate some offense against the excellent Dodgers pitching, and he would need someone else in the batting order to produce and help him for Arizona to overcome the Dodgers.
Arizona Diamondbacks Projected Lineup
Starting Pitcher: Zach Davies.
- Daulton Varsho, DH
- Pavin Smith, RF
- David Peralta, LF
- Christian Walker, 1B
- Josh Rojas, 3B
- Ketel Marte, 2B
- Alek Thomas, CF
- Nick Ahmed, SS
- Jose Herrera, C
Los Angeles Dodgers Preview
The Los Angeles Dodgers have regained their form as of late. After a disappointing last week, they've won two games to start this one. Even after their recent struggles, they still own the best record in the National League with a 22-12 win-loss record.
They were, however, challenged by the Diamondbacks in their first game of the series but have managed to hold them off. They still boast one of the best pitching rotations and bullpen in baseball right now and by the looks of it, they're poised to make a return to at least the National League Championship Series this year.
Key Player - Freddie Freeman
Freddie Freeman has been batting .302/.404/.476 with an OPS of .880 this season. He also has 11 doubles, a triple, and 14 RBIs on 38 base hits. What's even more impressive about Freeman's stat line is his 21 walks against 20 strikeouts. This just shows the patience of the former NL MVP at the plate.
"Freddie Freeman go-ahead double and Dodger Stadium is ROCKING" - @ Talkin' Baseball
His two-run go-ahead double gave the Dodgers wiggle room in their close contest with the Diamondbacks. Expect Freddie to replicate the performance in this game.
Los Angeles Dodgers Projected Lineup
Starting Pitcher: Walker Buehler.
- Mookie Betts, RF
- Freddie Freeman, 1B
- Trea Turner, SS
- Will Smith, C
- Max Muncy, DH
- Justin Turner, 3B
- Cody Bellinger, CF
- Chris Taylor, LF
- Gavin Lux, 2B
Arizona Diamondbacks vs Los Angeles Dodgers Prediction
We previously picked the Diamondbacks to eke out an upset against the Dodgers but they fell short. However, it was a nip-and-tuck affair as the Arizona Diamondbacks managed to mount a comeback late in the game. This game, however, could have a different outlook as the Dodgers have picked Walker Buehler to go against an anemic D-backs offense. Dodgers to win 5-1.
Where to follow Diamondbacks vs Dodgers
Watch: Bally Sports Arizona (D-backs), SportsNet LA, MLBN (out-of-market only) (Dodgers).
Listen: ESPN Phoenix 620, KHOV Univision 105.1 (D-backs), Dodgers Radio AM570, KTNQ 1020 (Dodgers).
