Washington @ Arizona preview
Chase Field
Last Meeting ( Aug 9, 2009 ) Arizona 2, Washington 9
Much to the surprise of some around the league, the trade deadline came and went without Adam LaRoche and Adam Dunn changing addresses.
Despite the Arizona Diamondbacks being in rebuild mode - evident by their trades of Dan Haren, Edwin Jackson, Chad Qualls and Chris Synder - the club didn’t hold a full-on fire sale that some predicted they would.
So even though they are planted in the cellar of the National League West, the Diamondbacks got their post-trade deadline schedule started out on the right foot thanks to a huge effort by LaRoche.
LaRoche homered twice among three hits and drove in six runs to guide Arizona to a lopsided 14-1 win over the New York Mets on Sunday and has 16 homers and a team-high 70 RBIs.
Now the Diamondbacks are set to return to Chase Field for a seven-game homestand that begins with a four-game set against the Washington Nationals on Monday.
Much like the Diamondbacks, the Nationals stayed quieter than expected at the deadline, choosing not to deal the slugging first baseman Dunn. Despite not threatening for a playoff spot, Washington held onto its leader in homers (25), runs (60) and RBIs (66).
Washington’s 6-4 loss at the hands of Philadelphia on Sunday ended a three-game winning streak as the team embarks on a seven-game road trip.
Taking the ball for the Nationals in the opener will be their most efficient pitcher outside of Stephen Strasburg in Livan Hernandez.
The 35-year-old Hernandez (7-7, 3.22 ERA) will be trying to snap a mini slump as he has lost three of four starts, with the win coming in the form of a complete game effort on July 22.
Hernandez will be facing Arizona, a team he made 43 starts for from 2006-07. In his career against the Diamondbacks, the right-hander is 107 with a 3.74 ERA in 20 starts, none coming this season.
Opposing him will be Rodrigo Lopez (5-9, 4.68 ERA), who has lost three of four starts. Lopez’s struggles over his last three starts have been linked to allowing too many walks (nine) and home runs (six).
In snapping their eight-game losing streak, the Diamondbacks pounded out 16 hits Sunday with every starter recording at least one, while eight different players drove in a run.
Washington third baseman Ryan Zimmerman finished the Philadelphia series 5-for-13 with six RBIs, including a game-winning home run on Saturday.