Diamondbacks open 9-game road trip against struggling A’s

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - Capped off by a walk-off victory Sunday afternoon, the Arizona Diamondbacks are running on pure adrenaline after taking three of four against the San Francisco Giants this past weekend.

The club’s next task, a three-game series against the 9-33 Oakland Athletics. With the worst record in baseball, the Athletics don’t pose much of a threat against the 23-18 D-backs, who currently hold second place in the NL West behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and hold the first wild card spot in the National League.

However, the Diamondbacks can gain some serious ground with a series win over the A’s, perhaps even a sweep. The Diamondbacks have pitchers Merrill Kelly, Tommy Henry, and Ryne Nelson lined up to start against Oakland, whereas Oakland will have Drew Rucinski, Kyle Muller, and Luis Medina on the mound. Oakland’s three projected starters in have a combined 7.89 ERA this season.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. stayed hot this past weekend, notching the walk-off hit to project the Diamondbacks to a series win on Sunday. Through his last 10 games, Gurriel Jr. is 14/34, batting .414 with four home runs. Dominic Fletcher, the 25-year-old outfielder who was called up on April 30, has made a lasting impression through his two weeks in the show. A key component in the series win against the Giants, Fletcher has batted .429 through his first 13 games.

Tonight’s game in Oakland will start at 6:40 p.m. MST. After the series in Oakland, the Diamondbacks will head up east to face the Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies to round out the road trip.

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