Can Merrill Kelly End the Diamondbacks' Skid?

The Arizona Diamondbacks are once again in a losing skid after being swept by the Cincinnati Reds. On Monday, they'll begin a three-game set with the Seattle Mariners at Chase Field, with a 6:40 p.m. scheduled first pitch.

Merrill Kelly will look to play stopper, as the D-backs' impressive sweep of the Braves now seems like a distant memory, with the club's record sitting at 31-34. The Mariners would probably like to get their last series back as well, as they dropped two of three to the Los Angeles Angels and fell to 33-31.

Both teams are in a skid. Seattle has lost seven of their last 10, and the D-backs have lost three straight. Both teams are searching for a "get-right" series, and could see their seasons improve or put themselves further away from contention.

Pitching Matchup

RHP Merrill Kelly (3.43 ERA)

Merrill Kelly has gotten back to his reliable ways. The right-handed veteran has thrown to a 3.43 ERA and 3.33 FIP, and although he's suffered a few poor outings, he's generally remained a steadying presence at the top of Arizona's rotation.

Kelly's recent outing was a thing of beauty. He spun seven strong innings and allowed just one base hit while punching out eight.

The D-backs have had plenty of inconsistency in their starting pitching, and with ace Corbin Burnes requiring Tommy John Surgery, Arizona would love to see another vintage Kelly performance on Monday.

RHP Emerson Hancock (5.19 ERA)

26-year-old righty Emerson Hancock has not fared well in the 2025 season. His ugly 5.19 ERA can't find much solace in the peripherals, as he sports a 5.02 FIP, while his expected ERA matches the raw numbers exactly (5.19).

Hancock primarily relies on a sinker and four-seam. The fastball combo sits near the 95 MPH range. He also throws a changeup, sweeper and occasional slider.

He's not much of a strikeout arm, as he's only punched out 6.79 batters per nine innings. He has 38 strikeouts against 17 walks over 50.1 innings. Hancock has made his living on ground balls, with an above-average 45% clip in that category. He's also left 74.1% of runners on base.

Hancock doesn't surrender a disproportionate amount of hard contact, but he's struggled with the long ball, as he's allowed nine homers in 10 starts.

The D-backs will need to be patient and look for their pitch against Hancock. If they attack too hastily, they could find themselves on the wrong end of some ground ball double plays and give Hancock a chance to go deeper in games than he normally has.

Hancock threw 5.2 innings of one-run baseball against the Orioles his last time out, allowing just two hits on the night.

Lineups

Check back later for lineups once available.

Bullpens

Since Arizona did not have a save situation in Cincinnati, closer option Justin Martinez should be fully rested. So, too, should be setup man Shelby Miller. Martinez worked a nerve-wracking 37-pitch, five-out save his last time out against the Braves, but has not pitched since Wednesday.

Arizona's bullpen continues to be an issue, as they rank 27th in reliever ERA.

Andrés Muñoz and Matt Brash each pitched for the Mariners Sunday, but may be available Monday, as neither threw more than 18 pitches. Muñoz is 18-for-22 in saves and has a 1.35 ERA on the season.