The Arizona Diamondbacks might be fighting to stay alive on Friday.
The Arizona Diamondbacks have set themselves up for a difficult three-game stretch to end their season. After failing to take two of three from the Los Angeles Dodgers, they may face elimination against the San Diego Padres on Friday night.
Arizona must win at least two of their next three games. Unless both the New York Mets and Cincinnati Reds are swept, Arizona will need to sweep the Padres. Therefore, if the Mets or Reds claim victory before the D-backs have finished their contest Friday Arizona will be facing a must-win elimination game.RHP Zac Gallen vs RHP Yu Darvish Friday's game may very well be Zac Gallen's last start as a Diamondback. After battling illness and fatigue, the team made the decision to push him back a day and go with a bullpen game. Gallen did not request this extra day. The decision backfired in the form of a blowup loss to the Dodgers on Thursday. Now, Gallen will be forced to try and keep his team alive. It's been a tough season for the former ace, but his second-half turnaround has been remarkable. In his past two months, he's only given up more than three earned runs in a start once. He has a 3.16 ERA in the month of September. Gallen has been in strong command and has picked up strikeouts at a high clip once again, punching out nine over seven innings against the Phillies his last time out.Darvish's first start of the year was against Arizona. The D-backs only scored two runs, but chased him after 3.2 innings after collecting three hits and three walks. They had nearly the same output against him a month later, with three runs over four innings. Darvish throws many pitches. That is his strength. His mid-90s sinker has been his most-used pitch this year, at 21%, with a relatively even split between seven other offerings. Good luck. The sinker has been hit to a mere .212 by opposing hitters, while his slider has been hammered .357 this season.The D-backs' bullpen got heavy usage on Wednesday, but with everything on the line, it seems unlikely there will be much restriction. Jalen Beeks, Nabil Crismatt and newcomer Austin Pope each pitched. Taylor Rashi threw the final three innings and is likely down. The Padres used four pitchers in their loss to the Brewers, including David Morgan, Adrian Morejon, Kyle Hart and Jeremiah Estrada. Robert Suarez has not pitched since Monday, and Mason Miller has not thrown since Sunday.Born and raised in the desert, Alex D'Agostino is a lifelong follower of Arizona sports. Alex writes for Arizona Diamondbacks ON SI and also Arizona Cardinals ON SI. He previously covered the Diamondbacks for FanSided's VenomStrikes. Follow Alex on Twitter @AlexDagAZ
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Diamondbacks Painfully Waste Chance to Gain Playoff GroundThe Arizona Diamondbacks couldn't take advantage of an opportunity against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Read more »
The Unfortunate Truth the Chiefs May Have to FaceThe Kansas City Chiefs have become well-known for their players, but as time continues to pass, it may be time to have a change of personnel.
Read more »
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks Prediction, Picks & Odds — Thursday, September 25Our Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks predictions expect big things from Shohei Ohtani on September 25.
Read more »
D-backs Turn to Bullpen Game Facing Brutal Dodgers MatchupIt's not a must-win for the Arizona Diamondbacks, but it feels like it.
Read more »
Dodgers defeat Diamondbacks to clinch their 12th NL West title in 13 seasonsIt took longer than expected, but the Dodgers clinched another National League West division title Thursday with their win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Read more »
Torey Lovullo Had Blunt Statement After Devastating Loss to DodgersThe Arizona Diamondbacks' manager had this to say after an ugly loss.
Read more »