Red Sox Begin Series With ‘Chaos Team’ Aiming To Play September Spoiler
The Boston Red Sox start a road trip with a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. They would be wise to treat their National League opponent seriously.
At 78-63, the Red Sox have built a 4.5-game cushion in the American League wild-card standings while fighting for the AL East crown. They’ll look to bolster those efforts with a strong showing against the Diamondbacks, who enter Friday with a 70-71 record.
Arizona is a playoff longshot, but MLB.com’s Theo DeRosa identified the 2023 NL champions as one of five non-contenders who could play spoiler in September. DeRosa called the Diamondbacks a “chaos team” when touting some of their marquee performers.
“A lineup led by Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte makes Arizona perpetually dangerous, even after trading Eugenio Suárez and Josh Naylor to the Mariners in separate Trade Deadline deals,” DeRosa wrote. “Shortstop Geraldo Perdomo, one of the league’s most well-rounded players, is in the midst of a breakout season. The D-backs pitching staff has struggled, but this team still has most of the pieces from its 2023 World Series run. Contenders beware.”
The Diamondbacks recently represented themselves well against two prominent NL contenders, splitting four games with the Milwaukee Brewers before winning two of three over the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, they also got swept by the Houston Astros and Detroit Tigers in July.
Arizona begins the series ranked fifth in team OPS, posing a steep test for Payton Tolle’s second career MLB start on Friday. Yet along with trading Suárez and Naylor, the team lost outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to an ACL tear earlier this week.
DeRosa also identified Boston’s next opponent, the Athletics, as another team to watch in September. Nick Kurtz leads a strong lineup that’s utilized their temporary Sacramento ballpark’s hitter-friendly environment.
Friday’s West Coast game between the Red Sox and Diamondbacks starts at 9:40 p.m. ET.