Cincinnati @ Arizona preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 8, 2019 ) Arizona 3, Cincinnati 4

The Arizona Diamondbacks were scorching hot as they made a charge toward a wild card in the National League but have cooled down significantly thanks to a rival for one of the spots. Arizona attempts to remain in the race when it hosts the Cincinnati Reds on Friday for the opener of their three-game series.

The Diamondbacks finished August with six straight victories and, after dropping their first contest this month, ran off five consecutive wins before hitting the skids. Arizona is in the midst of a five-game losing streak after suffering an 11-1 setback against the Mets in New York on Thursday and sits 3 1/2 games behind Milwaukee and the Chicago Cubs for the second wild card. Alex Avila recorded two of the four hits produced in the loss by the Diamondbacks, who were outscored 26-4 while being swept of the four-game set by the Mets and sit 1 1/2 games behind the club in the wild-card standings. The Reds, who began Arizona's slide with a home victory on Sunday, is coming off an 11-5 triumph at Seattle in which Freddy Galvis reached a career high of 70 RBIs by belting a grand slam.

TV: 9:40 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Cincinnati), FS Arizona

PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Luis Castillo (14-6, 3.21 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks RH Mike Leake (11-10, 4.64)

Castillo looks to avenge a hard-luck home loss to Arizona on Saturday in which he allowed only two runs on three hits and three walks while registering 10 strikeouts over a season high-tying 7 2/3 innings. The setback dropped the 26-year-old Dominican to 1-4 with a 4.35 ERA in five career starts against the Diamondbacks. Castillo has won six of his seven decisions on the road this year, including each of his last three.

Leake also deserved a better fate in his last outing, as he settled for a no-decision in Cincinnati on Sunday after giving up two runs and seven hits over 6 1/3 innings. The 31-year-old Californian has gone 2-2 with a 5.88 ERA in seven turns since being acquired from Seattle. Leake, who spent the first 5 1/2 seasons of his career with the Reds, is 0-5 with a 4.53 ERA in nine starts against his former team.

WALK-OFFS

1. Reds 3B Eugenio Suarez is two RBIs away from reaching the century mark for the second straight season.

2. Arizona LHP Robbie Ray is expected to make his scheduled start against Miami on Monday after exiting Wednesday's outing versus the Mets in the first inning with a finger ailment.

3. Cincinnati announced on Thursday that OF Nick Senzel will miss the rest of the season due to a partially torn labrum in his right shoulder.

PREDICTION: Diamondbacks 6, Reds 2