The Arizona Diamondbacks (35-25) take one of the most productive offenses in the National League on the road to face the Washington Nationals (25-34) at Nationals Park on Tuesday to open a three-game series.
The Diamondbacks are embarking on a six-game road trip after closing out a 10-game homestand (6-4). They won only one out of three in their last series against the Braves, dropping the finale 8-5 on Sunday at Chase Field.
Corbin Carroll was 2 for 4 with a solo home run and a double. Josh Rojas added one RBI on two hits. The Nationals are in the midst of a six-game homestand.
They lost two of three against the Phillies in their last series, dropping the finale 11-3 on Sunday at Nationals Park. Ildemaro Vargas went 2 for 4 with a home run and a double. He drove in two runs.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Diamondbacks have won two of three in the season series between the teams, although they dropped a close one 9-8 in their last meeting on May 7 at Chase Field.
Erasmo Ramirez got the win with 1.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen, and Hunter Harvey earned his first save of the season with a scoreless ninth.
ON THE MOUND
Tommy Henry (3-1, 3.73 ERA) is in line to take the mound for Arizona. The lefty threw seven scoreless innings in his last start, a 6-0 road win over the Rockies on Wednesday.
He earned the win, yielding two hits while striking out seven and walking two. Henry has made one previous start against the Nationals this season, an 8-7 home victory on May 6.
He surrendered two runs on six hits over six innings, striking out three and walking two.For Washington, RHP Jake Irvin (1-3, 5.67 ERA) gets the start. It’s his first appearance of the season against the Diamondbacks.
In his last start on May 30, Irvin took the loss on the road against the Dodgers. He threw five innings and gave up four runs on eight hits, striking out three and walking one in the 9-3 defeat.
AT THE PLATE
The Arizona offense is averaging 5.0 runs per game for the season, third best in the NL, with a slash line of .259/.324/.431. Four Diamondbacks hitters have an OPS of .800 or better, led by Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (.909). The left fielder is slashing .310/.359/.550 with nine home runs, 35 RBIs, and 30 runs over 53 games.
Against righties like Irvin this season, the D-backs have a .761 OPS. Gurriel Jr. also is the team’s strongest performer against right-handers with a .943 OPS in 142 at-bats. Washington is slashing .265/.329/.392 for the season and averaging 4.3 runs per game.
Jeimer Candelario leads the team with a .788 OPS. The third baseman has seven home runs, 28 RBIs, and 27 runs scored with a slash line of .260/.332/.456.
The Nats have a .782 OPS against left-handers in 2023. With a .996 OPS over 72 at-bats, Lane Thomas has been their best hitter against left-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Arizona is 15-11 away from home in 2023, scoring 5.2 runs per game while allowing 5.3 runs. Washington has gone 12-19 in front of their home fans this season, averaging 3.7 runs per game while surrendering 5.3. The teams have split their last 10 meetings head-to-head at Nationals Park, though Arizona has the scoring advantage with an average final margin of 4.9-4.5.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Diamondbacks lead the NL West by zero games over the Diamondbacks. The Nationals are fifth in the NL East, 10 games behind the Braves.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Arizona Diamondbacks (-145)
Want up to a $1K risk-free bet for this pick?
Claim with 
today!
If you need more news, information, and predictions, head over to our MLB hub page for all your baseball needs!
*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
