The Diamondbacks are returning to form as legitimate National League contenders, with two six-game win streaks in their last 15 games.
They suffered a nasty hangover to start the year, sitting 11 ¹/₂ games back in the NL West in late June.
Suffice to say, Arizona has exploded as the best team in baseball since the All-Star break with a 26-9 record and a leading 11.2 wins above replacement.
Arizona can primarily thank the offense’s breakout for the boost.
It’s getting balanced contributions with Eugenio Suàrez, Ketel Marte and Jake McCarthy each ranking in the top 10 in RBIs in this window, helping Arizona to lead any other team by a margin of 32 entering Monday.
The D’backs also got Eduardo Rodriguez back on the mound for the first time this season after a long recovery from a lat strain.
Rodriguez has settled in comfortably with a pair of wins in his first three starts of 2024.
He’s shown regression in strikeouts since leaving Boston three years ago, but the southpaw still keeps outings contained with an effective pitch mix that limits walks at a 2.29 per nine inning rate.
What’s more is how Rodriguez has made a reputation by maneuvering the strike zone effectively to induce weaker contact.
Rodriguez has gone back-to-back games without giving up a home run, a result of his low 86.3 average exit velocity, a mark that challenges his career-best — even if it is only after three games.
Learn all you need to know about MLB Betting
- Read about the Best Baseball Betting Sites
- Learn all about How to Bet on Baseball
- Get the latest World Series Odds
The southpaw owns a 1.46 ERA over his two career starts against the Mets, who he’ll face on Tuesday evening at Chase Field.
As Francisco Lindor makes his case for National League MVP, the Mets fought valiantly against the red-hot Padres, splitting their last series before riding off to the desert.
Sean Manaea notched 10 strikeouts in their June 1 meeting against the D’backs, but Corbin Carroll blasted him for a grand slam early on, and control problems let the game get away from him.
Manaea and the Mets have both had their moments of improvement since, but I’m sticking with the more consistent side in what’s close to a pick’em.
THE PLAY: Diamondbacks (-110, FanDuel)
