The Diamondbacks' chase for a postseason berth continues following the series finale in Atlanta, with right-hander Michael Soroka on the mound against his former team on Sunday, Aug. 16, looking to build off a limited performance in his last outing.
Soroka returned against the Colorado Rockies on Aug. 10 and delivered 4 1/3 solid, scoreless innings in his first start after a lengthy stay on the injured list.
The Diamondbacks entered Thursday, Aug. 13, in a tie for the third National League postseason wild-card spot, a game behind the San Diego Padres.
Following the matchup with the Braves, Arizona heads to Boston for three games to play the American League contenders Aug. 17-19, then returns home to Chase Field to host the Cincinnati Reds Aug. 21-23.
The Red Sox were nearly unstoppable from late June to early August, going 34-8 in one stretch. They entered play Aug. 13 on a five-game losing streak but were still in control of the second American League wild-card position.
The Red Sox are led on offense by first baseman Willson Contreras, who plays with an edge night in and night out, and outfielders Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela. On the pitching side, the Red Sox entered Aug. 13 with MLB's third-lowest team earned run average, 3.49.
The Reds are fading but aren't completely out of a wild-card chance. First baseman Sal Stewart is a top candidate for National League Rookie of the Year. Former Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez is well-liked wherever he's played and could find a warm welcome back from fans at Chase Field.
The games against the Red Sox start at 4:10 p.m. MST Monday and Tuesday, and Wednesday's game is at 1:10 p.m. MST at Fenway Park. Against the Reds, game times are 6:40 p.m. Aug. 21, 5:10 p.m. on Aug. 22 and 1:10 p.m. on Aug. 23.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Diamondbacks wrap Braves series, visit Red Sox before returning home
