This story was originally published by Dead Spin
The Arizona Diamondbacks are hoping a day off doesn’t derail their torrid offense.
After scoring 32 total runs during three straight victories, the Diamondbacks return to the field Friday night when they open a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers in Phoenix.
Arizona (82-64) leads the battle for the National League’s top wild-card berth by a half-game over the San Diego Padres, while Milwaukee (84-62) leads the NL Central by nine games over the Chicago Cubs.
The Diamondbacks defeated the Houston Astros 12-6 on Sunday to begin their splurge and followed up with 6-0 and 14-4 wins to sweep a two-game set against the Texas Rangers.
The bashing of Texas in Wednesday’s series finale was impressive. Arizona had 13 extra-base hits, including five homers and one triple.
Eugenio Suarez belted two homers while Ketel Marte, Adrian Del Castillo and Randal Grichuk each hit one. Grichuk’s homer was his fourth of the month and 200th of his career.
“We’re really executing at a high level and it’s not just the slug that we saw,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “It’s patient at-bats waiting for our pitch, putting down the bat, handing it off to the next guy.”
Suarez was 4-for-4 and is a scorching 19-for-38 (.500) with seven homers in September. Suarez entered July with six homers and now has 28. Marte leads Arizona with 31.
Milwaukee lost five of seven games before producing a 3-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Thursday night. The Brewers took two of three from the Giants to start a six-game road excursion.
Hot-shot Milwaukee rookie Jackson Chourio hit an opposite-field, two-run blast on Thursday. That made him the youngest player (20 years, 185 days) in major league history to have 20 homers and 20 steals in a season.
“I think as the season was progressing and the season was going on, I knew there was a chance and a possibility to reach it,” Chourio said through a translator. “I’m just really happy that ball left the yard and we were able to get it.”
Mike Trout (2012) and Vada Pinson (1959) also had 20-20 campaigns in their “age-20 season” but both turned 21 in August.
“It’s an incredible story,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said of Chourio. “I feel privileged to be part of it. He’s an amazing kid, which makes it beautiful to be around him. … There’s no moment too big for him. Youngest kid to go 20-20 — just an incredible accomplishment.”
Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta (10-8, 3.81 ERA) will seek to cool down the Arizona bats in the opener.
He has been able to do that in the past as he has a 3-0 record and 0.55 ERA in four career appearances (two starts) against the Diamondbacks. He hasn’t faced Arizona this season.
Suarez is just 2-for-18 against Peralta and Christian Walker is hitless in nine at-bats. Josh Bell (5-for-24) and Kevin Newman (5-for-15) each have homered against Peralta.
Peralta, 28, won three consecutive decisions before losing to the Colorado Rockies on Sunday. He gave up three runs and seven hits over 4 2/3 innings.
Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (2-2, 5.83) will take the mound for Arizona.
Rodriguez has dropped his past two starts and has an 8.10 ERA over his past three outings.
The 31-year-old lost to the Astros on Saturday when he gave up five runs (four earned) and seven hits over four innings.
Rodriguez has faced the Brewers just once, that coming in 2017 when he was a member of the Boston Red Sox. He gave up one run and three hits over six innings and received a no-decision.
Gary Sanchez is 5-for-20 with two homers off Rodriguez. Willy Adames is hitless in eight at-bats.
–Field Level Media
