Arizona Diamondbacks facing a week of challenges

With the Dodgers, Cubs and Astros directly ahead on the schedule, the Arizona Diamondbacks confront their most critical trial of the season.

During the course of this season, manager Torey Lovullo of the Arizona Diamondbacks has used two familiar phases to describe his team. He refers to the player’s immediate attention span as “in the moment,” and resiliency to describe the team’s approach the playing the game.

These variables will be tested this week, and beyond. That’s because the Diamondbacks, in every post-season conversation, face teams which will test their mettle and the ability to persist and ultimately survive.

Coming off a disappointing .500 road trip to St. Louis, at Wrigley Field against the Cubs and here, their immediate task ahead is the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers, a team now as predictable as a runaway locomotive. When the Diamondbacks reached Dodger Stadium for a three-game set in early July, they were 2.5 games behind L. A. Since, the Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies, each battling for the home field advantage in a potential NL wild-card game, forgot about the Dodgers and their insurmountable lead.

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Still, to maintain a competitive level of play and see where, and if, they match-up at all with the Dodgers, this week should provide a window. Beginning Tuesday night in Chase Field, the Dodgers and Arizona engage in a three-game series, and a vision into the Diamondbacks make-up and psyche could be revealing.

At this point, the Diamondbacks have stop swinging the bats and that consequence could influence production in the up-coming Dodgers series and beyond.

In Sunday’s 6-3 loss to the San Francisco Giants, several dimensions of this defeat could serve as a microcosm for either triumph or despair. With numerous opportunities throughout, the Diamondbacks managed only two singles from the fourth inning, and never managed to compete. In the seventh, down by three and runners on second and third, pinch hitter A. J. Pollock grounded to third and effectively ended this one.

In dropping two-of-three to the Giants, the Diamondbacks clearly looked absent and distant from their success of earlier this season. With a 33-19 winning margin in games decided by one run, the bats have become silent just in time to meet the Dodgers, Cubs and Astros. Outfielder David Peralta told Call to the Pen after Sunday’s loss that there no concern and certainly no panic.

“We’re facing good teams?” he questioned. “So what. We get a day off (Monday) and get ready for the next game. Look, what we’re going through is part of the game. Sometimes, it goes your way and other times, it doesn’t.  We know we play the game the right way, and anything can happen.”

Coming off a 5-5 road trip, Lovullo pointed out to Call to the Pen that any bitter feeling will not linger. In fact, he continues to stress the resiliency of this team and the fact that character, discipline and execution have carried his club to this point.

“Maybe we’re in a little bit of a rut right now,” he said. “We’ll get out of this. These guys are tough. We had a chance to have a decent road trip, but came up short.”

Now with the most critical portion their schedule directly ahead, the test of Lovullo’s criteria will be in open display.

The Dodgers series

Beginning Tuesday night in Chase Field, right-hander Zack Godley (5-4, 2.86 ERA) will open for Arizona. The former University of Tennessee stand-out enters this start with back-to-back scoreless outings and that includes 13.0 innings. In 15 starts this season, Godley has 10 quality starts. Godley draws right-hander Kenta Maeda (10-4, 3.97) as his mound opponent.

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In Wednesday night’s game, it’s Zack Greinke (13-4, 3.10) facing lefty Alex Wood (13-1, 2.33). For the finale Thursday night, the Diamondbacks get their first look at Yu Darvish (1-0, 0.00 with L. A.), and Lovullo is uncertain for his starter. This would be Robbie Ray’s turn, and he is currently out with a concussion. It’s likely Anthony Banda (1-1, 3.86) could get the start for Arizona.