Diamondbacks look to capitalize on offensive prowess vs. Royals

The Arizona Diamondbacks will look to even their season record on Friday when they conclude their final homestand before the All-Star break with the opener of a three-game series versus the Kansas City Royals in Phoenix.

The Diamondbacks began their 10-game homestand two games above .500 before a sweep by the Miami Marlins and a split of a four-game set with the San Francisco Giants put the club at 43-44. The series against the Giants was a missed opportunity for the Diamondbacks, as they won the first two games against the team directly ahead of them in the National League West.

Arizona's offense has recorded 41 runs during the team's past eight games, but the Diamondbacks have just two wins to show for it. They belted 10 homers and scored 19 runs during the series versus San Francisco.

Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said there were a few times when batters didn't capitalize on an opportunity, but he added that's the nature of the game.

"Overall, I'm satisfied," he said after the Diamondbacks' 7-2 loss on Thursday. "We're scoring a bunch of runs offensively. Every once in a while, we're going to run into a little bit of a roadblock."

Eugenio Suarez continued his hot streak on Thursday with a solo home run. Suarez, who hit 30 homers last season in 158 games, now has 27 in 85 this season.

He is batting .361 (17-for-47) with six homers and 12 RBIs in his past 12 games.

Arizona's Eduardo Rodriguez (3-4, 5.13 ERA) will get the start on Friday against Kansas City's Kris Bubic (6-6, 2.25) in a battle of left-handers.

Rodriguez allowed one run in 5 1/3 innings in a no-decision against the Miami Marlins in a 6-4 loss on Sunday.

He is 4-2 with a 4.09 ERA in 10 career appearances (all starts) versus the Royals. His has not thrown against them since July 19, 2023, while pitching for the Detroit Tigers.

Bubic lost his second straight start on Sunday despite permitting two runs in five innings in a 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He will be facing the Diamondbacks for the first time in his career.

Kansas City is also looking for a turnaround.

The Royals are just 3-9 in their past 12 games, but that includes splitting a four-game series at Seattle to start their current seven-game road trip. A three-run seventh inning on Thursday fueled Kansas City in a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over the Mariners.

Royals catcher Salvador Perez left the game in the eighth inning. Manager Matt Quatraro said the 35-year-old backstop's calf tightened up on him.

"He didn't feel like he could put enough weight on it at that time to keep going," Quatraro said.

Quatraro did not give any indication whether Perez could play Friday.

Bobby Witt Jr. is following up his stellar 2024 season with a solid campaign this year. Last season's American League batting champion is hitting .289 with a team-best slugging percentage of .488. However, he's faring far better on the road in 2025.

In 44 away contests, Witt is hitting .320 (versus a .257 clip at home), and he's hit seven of his 11 home runs on the road.

By going 1-for-5 Thursday, Witt set a Royals record with a 23-game road hitting streak, breaking a mark set by Hal McRae spanning the 1982 and 1983 seasons.