Diamondbacks look to rebound on Saturday after heartbreak loss to Angels

Heading into tonight’s clash at Angel Stadium, the Diamondbacks are laser-focused on stacking wins before the All-Star break. With the second half of the season heating up, every game matters as the Snakes are trying to get in a good position to make a postseason run.

Pitching matchups on Saturday night:

Zac Gallen is coming into Saturday’s matchup with a 7-9 record and 5.15 ERA. He’s been lights-out lately, commanding both sides of the plate and keeping hitters guessing with a devastating curveball and elite fastball placement. In his last two outings, he has a combined 19 strikeouts and has only allowed one earned run over 13 innings pitched.

The Angels counter with lefty Yusei Kikuchi, who’s been serviceable at times for Los Angeles this season, though he has also been inconsistent. Kikuchi has a 3-6 record on the season, but performs well at Angel Stadium as his 3-1 record and 1.65 ERA suggest.

Offensively, the Diamondbacks’ lineup continues to evolve with a mix of speed, power, and discipline. Corbin Carroll, despite a few up-and-down stretches this season, remains one of the main sparkplugs. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Eugenio Suárez have been complementing this D-Backs lineup in more ways than one, the Snakes though cannot find that extra effort towards the end to close out tight matchups.

This weekend is a chance for Arizona to keep climbing and prove that they belong in the playoff picture. If Gallen does what he’s done recently, and the bats do just enough, the D-Backs should come away with a win on Saturday night at Angel Stadium.