The Arizona Diamondbacks and Washington Nationals — two teams in need of a course correction — will meet in the first game of a three-game series in Phoenix on Friday night.
Both teams have five losses in their past seven contests. If either team has momentum, it is Arizona, which defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday in a 3-2 comeback victory.
The Nationals were swept in a three-game home series by the Miami Marlins.
In the series opener on Friday, Arizona will turn to right-hander Merrill Kelly (5-3, 5.06 ERA) and Washington to left-hander Foster Griffin (6-2, 3.76).
The Diamondbacks have 15 runs over their past six games. The salvaged a split of a four-game series with the Dodgers on Ketel Marte’s 431-foot homer in the ninth inning on Thursday.
Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said that game could provide a turning point for the season.
“There are push moments, push games,” he said. “I think this is one of those that might push us in the right direction.”
Lovullo tinkered with the batting order and inserted shortstop Geraldo Perdomo into the seventh position on Thursday, marking the first time this season Perdomo had not hit in the top three spots.
Perdomo responded with two hits, including a game-tying single in the eighth. He is batting .230 with three home runs and 22 RBIs after a career year in 2025, when he finished fourth in the National League MVP voting with 20 homers, 100 RBIs and an .851 OPS.
“He’ll migrate north,” Lovullo said. “He’s going to find his way. He’s just grinding right now. It’s going to be a process. So I want to let that grind start in the seven hole, and we’ll see where that takes us.”
The win on Thursday could have been very costly for Arizona. First baseman Ildemaro Vargas suffered a bruised left thigh, a bruised left rib cage and a sore neck after colliding with the Dodgers’ Max Muncy in a full-speed, head-on crash at first base in the fifth inning. X-rays were negative, but Vargas is not expected to play Friday.
“The whole body hurts,” Vargas said. “I kind of feel like I kind of ran into a truck.”
Kelly has won his last four decisions and has made quality starts in four of his past five appearances while posting a 2.36 ERA.
He is 3-0 with a 4.50 ERA in four career starts against the Nationals, only one since 2023.
Nationals leadoff man James Wood leads the majors in runs (53) and has 16 homers, 39 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. Shortstop CJ Abrams enters play Friday tied for second in RBIs (47) and has 12 homers and nine stolen bases.
“They’re unbelievable players, unbelievable people, unbelievable teammates,” Nationals manager Blake Butera said of Wood and Abrams. “The work that they put in, how much they care about not only their own job they’re doing but the success of the team. They’re the last ones to leave here every night. They’re taking care of their bodies, they are putting in the time, the work that it takes to be a really good player.”
They will look to support Griffin, who was 18-10 with a 2.57 ERA in three seasons with the Yomiuri Giants of the Nippon Professional League before joining the Nationals this year. He leads the team in wins and innings pitched (67).
After a 4-1 start with a 2.12 ERA, Griffin has given up 17 earned runs and seven home runs while going 2-1 in his past four starts. Still, the Nationals are 3-1 in those games, thanks to their offense, which leads the majors in runs.
Griffin, who made seven appearances in the majors with the Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays from 2020-22, never has faced the Diamondbacks.
–Field Level Media
