After ending the first half much better than they began it, the Arizona Diamondbacks will try to pick up where they left off when they open a three-game series at the Chicago Cubs on Friday afternoon.
The Diamondbacks won four of five games before the All-Star break and went 10-5 over the final two weeks to move to within one game of the final National League wild-card spot.
Arizona, which lost to the Texas Rangers in the World Series last fall, sat as far as seven games below .500 on May 31, but entered the All-Star break with a 49-48 mark.
“I’m proud of what we’ve been doing recently,” Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker said. “I think we’ve put ourselves in a position to make a good run in the second half.”
Arizona manager Torey Lovullo managed the NL All-Star team on Tuesday in its 5-3 loss to the American League.
Before they headed their separate ways, Lovullo told his players to enjoy the break and their time with family. He also told them to be ready to hit the ground running upon their return.
“We’re going to step into a tough arena in Chicago and I want this team to be ready,” Lovullo said. “I don’t want them to waltz through the first couple innings. I want them to go out there and start making statements the way they have over the past three weeks.”
Arizona is slated to start right-hander Ryne Nelson (6-6, 4.98 ERA) on Friday. Nelson has pitched to a 3.00 ERA with one win in two career starts against Chicago.
The Cubs exit the All-Star break with a 47-51 record, the same mark they had after 98 games last season. They are 3 1/2 games out of the final wild-card berth.
Chicago blasted six home runs in an 8-3 win against the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday, earning a split of the four-game series. It was the most home runs the Cubs have produced in a game since they went deep seven times versus the Cincinnati Reds on Aug. 1, 2023.
“I think we’re going into it in the way we wanted to go into it,” Chicago manager Craig Counsell said of the All-Star break. “We finished the job (on Sunday) and got a split in the series and finished a 5-2 road trip, so it’s a good way to go into the break.”
The Cubs plan to start left-hander Justin Steele in the series opener.
Steele (2-3, 2.71) has been sharp most of the season, but especially lately.
In his two starts this month, he’s 2-0 with a 0.56 ERA in 16 innings. He struck out 11 batters in 16 innings and walked two while giving up just one run.
He needed just 70 pitches to throw seven scoreless innings in his most recent outing, an 8-0 win against the AL East-leading Baltimore Orioles on July 11.
“Had some good sinkers and changeups today, moving the fastball around,” Steele said afterward. “Just been feeling really good lately.”
In his prior start on July 5, he threw a complete game against the Los Angeles Angels in a 5-1 win.
Steele could be even more motivated after getting snubbed as an All Star.
Steele has made four starts against the Diamondbacks in his career and is 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA.
Chicago rookie outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong hopes to carry his momentum out of the break as well. He hit two homers and made a pair of outstanding catches in the outfield in Sunday’s win against the Cardinals.
Crow-Armstrong had just one home run in 59 games coming into Sunday.
“I think there’s a balance of focusing on the defensive side of things,” he said. “Now, I guess it’s just kind of evening out and acting like I belong here and, hopefully, more days like that will come.”
