In a rare event, the Arizona Diamondbacks head into their series finale on Sunday, not trying to avoid a sweep. Nevertheless, the San Francisco Giants have won two of the first three games of the four-game series and are favored with a -180 moneyline to win on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks have a moneyline of +150 as home underdogs.
The Diamondbacks only won three games during all of June, which is why they currently have the worst record in the majors. On the bright side, they won on Thursday, giving them one win already in July. Of course, they’ve also been outscored by the Giants in this series 20-14.
As for the Giants, they have seen their lead in the NL West shrink to just half a game. After closing June with three straight losses, the Giants have now lost four of their last six games. Combined with the Dodgers winning eight in a row, San Francisco’s lead is slim, which means the Giants can’t afford to lose to Arizona on Sunday.
The Big Surprise
Anthony DeSclafani will start for San Francisco on Sunday as he looks to continue his surprise season. Through 16 starts, DeSclafani has gone 8-3 with a 2.91 ERA, putting him in a position to be named to the All-Star Team. Surprisingly, he’s been more effective on the road than at home this season, although DeSclafani is also coming off a loss in his last start, yielding three runs against the Dodgers over five innings.
The Arizona lineup he’ll face on Sunday has actually produced at a decent clip lately. Over their last nine games, the Diamondbacks have averaged 4.4 runs per game while scoring at least four runs in four straight games. While part of the lineup is slumping right now, Asdrubal Cabrera, Nick Ahmed, and Josh Reddick are all in a nice groove lately.
Mr. Smith
The Diamondbacks will send Caleb Smith to the mound for Sunday’s series finale. The lefty has made seven starts and 18 relief appearances this season, posting an impressive 3.08 ERA. During the six starts he made during the month of June, Smith allowed two runs or less five times and pitched to an ERA of 2.87, although he didn’t get the win in any of those starts.
Of course, Smith will have to face a San Francisco lineup that’s scored 17 runs over the past two games. Those two games appear to have gotten the Giants out of the slump that plagued them in late June. The likes of Brandon Crawford, Buster Posey, and Wilmer Flores have all been swinging a good bat lately, with Posey and Flores being longtime lefty killers.
They Might Be Giants
Now that the Giants appear to have gotten their offense back on track during this series, there’s no reason to bet against San Francisco in this game. Even if Smith can give the Diamondbacks five solid innings, the Arizona bullpen is still one of the worst in the National League. Pitching has held back the D’Backs all season, and that’s more than enough reason to bet on the Giants to win on Sunday.
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