Nicole: A seven-pitcher shutout. A solo homer in the eighth that kept a season alive. And now, the road trip to Houston begins.
Kevin: It was ugly, Nicole. It was gritty. But they got the win against the Phillies and avoided the sweep.
Nicole: Welcome to today’s Beatline Diamondbacks preview. I’m Nicole, and this is Kevin. We are live on September 3rd, 2026, with your daily deep dive into Arizona baseball.
Kevin: And I’m here to break down what actually matters for tonight’s matchup against the Astros. The record is 74-67, sitting second in the NL West.
Nicole: Before we get there, let’s look at the roadmap for today. First, we’re looking at the pitching matchup in Houston. Second, we’re diving into the bullpen usage after that marathon game last night. And third, we’re talking about the injury list and who is actually available to play.
Kevin: Let’s start with the reality of where we stand. We lost the series opener 7-1, we lost the second game, but yesterday? James McCann hits a solo homer in the eighth, seven pitchers combine for a shutout, and we beat the Phillies 1-0.
Nicole: I’ll admit, Kevin, you predicted a sweep. I predicted a split. You were right about the sweep, but wrong about the finale. We stole that one.
Kevin: I stand by my analysis of the Phillies' dominance, but credit to the D-backs for finding a way. Now, we fly out to Houston. The next game is Wednesday, September 5th. We are the away team against the Astros.
Nicole: Okay, let’s talk pitching. This is always the tricky part for us right now. Who is starting for Houston?
Kevin: The brief doesn’t give us a probable starter for Houston, which is interesting. But we know our rotation is decimated. We have Corbin Burnes, Zac Gallen, Tanner Banks, Felix Reyes, and Michael Soroka all on the 60-day IL. That’s five starters gone.
Nicole: Five starters. And Caleb Kilian and Tommy Troy are on the 15-day IL as well. So who is left to face the Astros' lineup?
Kevin: Looking at the roster, we have Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodriguez, Blake Walston, Jose Cabrera, and Brandon Pfaadt listed as SPs. But Pfaadt is also listed as RP in some contexts, so we have to be careful with how we deploy him.
Nicole: So it’s going to be a battle between Kelly, Rodriguez, and Walston. Given that we just threw seven arms last night, do we go back to someone like Kelly?
Kevin: Kelly is the most experienced arm left, but he needs rest. Rodriguez has been solid when healthy. I think the front office has to make a tough call here. If they want to compete in this series, they might have to lean on Walston or even Cabrera if they need to save Kelly for a potential playoff push later.
Nicole: That’s the dilemma. Rest vs. Win-now mode. With the record at 74-67, every game feels like a must-win.
Kevin: Exactly. And Houston is not a team you can take lightly. They are always dangerous at home.
Nicole: We’ll see who takes the mound. Let’s shift gears to the offense. How do we approach the Astros’ pitching staff?
Kevin: Well, we know Jordan Lawlar crushed a home run recently. He’s a key piece here. And Corbin Carroll is always a threat in the leadoff spot.
Nicole: And Nolan Arenado at third base. He’s still providing power from that slot.
Kevin: Right. But we also have Ketel Marte and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. dealing with injuries. Wait, the brief lists them as injured in previous episodes, but let me check the current injury list.
Nicole: The brief shows Johan Rojas, Adolis Garcia, and others on the 60-day IL, but it doesn't explicitly list Marte or Gurriel in the *current* active injury list for this specific date. However, we know from recent context they’ve been struggling with health.
Kevin: If they are out, that opens up spots for Geraldo Perdomo, Tim Tawa, Ildemaro Vargas, Jorge Barrosa, Max Kepler, Ryan Waldschmidt, and Lars Nootbaar. That’s a lot of bodies.
Nicole: It’s a crowded outfield and infield. How does that affect the lineup construction?
Kevin: It forces the manager to mix and match platoon splits. If the Astros start a right-handed pitcher, you might see more of Lars Nootbaar or Max Kepler. If it’s a lefty, you look at Ketel Marte if he’s ready, or Geraldo Perdomo.
Nicole: This is getting complex. Let’s move to Segment 2: The Bullpen and Injuries.
Nicole: Kevin, last night was a seven-pitcher effort. That is unsustainable over a long period. How do we manage the bullpen heading into Houston?
Kevin: It’s a crisis management situation. We have Gerardo Carrillo, Taylor Clarke, Brandyn Garcia, Kevin Ginkel, Derek Law, Jonathan Loaisiga, Justin Martinez, Juan Morillo, Dennis Santana, and Brandon Pfaadt in the relief corps.
Nicole: That’s a lot of arms, but are any of them unavailable?
Kevin: The injury list includes Tommy Troy, Ryne Nelson, Zac Gallen, Michael Soroka, Corbin Burnes, Tanner Banks, Caleb Kilian, Felix Reyes, Johan Rojas, and Adolis Garcia. None of those are relievers except maybe Ryne Nelson, but he’s on the 60-day IL.
Nicole: So the bullpen is relatively healthy compared to the rotation and position players. That’s a bright spot.
Kevin: Yes, but fatigue is real. After throwing seven guys last night, we need to be careful with Kevin Ginkel and Jonathan Loaisiga. They are likely the setup men.
Nicole: Who is closing? Is it Brandon Pfaadt or someone else?
Kevin: Pfaadt is listed as both SP and RP, which suggests he’s being used flexibly. If he’s not starting, he could be the closer. Or we might use Derek Law or Taylor Clarke.
Nicole: This flexibility is key. Against Houston, we can’t afford a blown save.
Kevin: Agreed. The margins are thin. Every inning counts.
Nicole: Let’s talk about the position players again. With the injury list so long, who are the everyday starters?
Kevin: James McCann caught last night and hit the winner. He’s a huge asset. Gabriel Moreno is the other catcher. At first base, it’s Tim Tawa or Ildemaro Vargas. Shortstop is Geraldo Perdomo.
Nicole: Second base? Ketel Marte is questionable.
Kevin: If Marte is out, we might see Ildemaro Vargas or even a utility player there. Third is Nolan Arenado. Outfield is Corbin Carroll, Jordan Lawlar, and Lars Nootbaar or Max Kepler.
Nicole: It’s a patchwork lineup. But they showed heart last night.
Kevin: They did. But Houston is a different animal. We need to be sharp.
Nicole: We’ll see how the manager handles the matchups. Stick with us for Segment 3.
Nicole: We are back. Let’s get to our keys to the series and a bold prediction.
Kevin: Key number one: Pitching depth. We need our remaining starters to go deep into games.
Nicole: Key number two: Plate discipline. Houston’s pitchers are elite. We can’t chase.
Kevin: My prediction: We lose the series. Houston is too strong at home.
Nicole: I disagree slightly. I think we split the series. One win for Arizona.
Kevin: I’ll take that bet. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Nicole: Thanks for listening to today’s Beatline Diamondbacks preview. Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you get your podcasts.
Kevin: See you tomorrow. D-backs forever.