Nationals at Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks hope to have their newest acquisition back in the lineup Saturday, when they host the Washington Nationals for the middle contest of their three-game series. J.D. Martinez, who was obtained Tuesday from Detroit, has missed two straight contests with a left hand contusion he suffered in his debut with Arizona on Wednesday.
The top of the Diamondbacks' lineup helped stake the team to a 4-0 lead after one inning Friday as David Peralta, A.J. Pollock and Jake Lamb each hit solo homers, and the club tacked on another run in the second but squandered the five-run lead before Brandon Drury delivered a walk-off single. The trio of Peralta, Pollock and Lamb combined for eight hits, four RBIs and five runs, with the latter going deep for the third time in two games to raise his team-leading total to 23 blasts. Arizona, which leads Colorado by one game for the first wild card in the National League, has won two in a row while NL East-leading Washington has dropped two straight after capturing the first five contests of its nine-game road trip. Daniel Murphy recorded three of the Nationals' eight hits Friday and registered his 72nd RBI to pull within one of Bryce Harper for the team lead.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Washington), FSN Arizona
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Tanner Roark (7-6, 4.98 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks LH Anthony Banda (NR)
Roark is coming off his first win since June 4, a triumph at Cincinnati on Sunday in which he gave up three unearned runs on four hits and three walks over six innings. The victory followed a five-inning relief stint against Atlanta on July 9, when the 30-year-old native of Illinois yielded three runs and four hits. Roark surrendered four runs over six frames on May 2 to fall to 1-2 in eight career appearances (five starts) versus Arizona.
Banda will be summoned from Triple-A Reno to make his major-league debut. The 23-year-old Texan has made 18 starts for the Aces this season, going 7-5 with a 5.08 ERA and 93 strikeouts against 43 walks in 101 innings. Banda, who was drafted by Arizona in 2011 but did not sign with the club, was acquired from Milwaukee in July 2014 in a deal for Gerardo Parra.
WALK-OFFS
1. Banda is starting in place of RHP Taijuan Walker, who was placed on paternity leave and became the father of a baby boy on Friday.
2. Washington RHP Shawn Kelley (trapezius) threw a pain-free bullpen session Friday and is slated for another on Sunday before pitching a simulated game next week.
3. Arizona signed RHP David Carpenter, who last pitched in the majors in 2015 with Washington, to a minor-league contract.