Field Level Media - Professional sports content solutions | FLM

Following the largest ninth-inning comeback victory in team history, the Arizona Diamondbacks will try to ride the momentum when they open a three-game road series against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday evening.

The Diamondbacks scored seven runs in the top of the ninth on Thursday afternoon to beat the host Atlanta Braves 11-10 and complete a three-game sweep.

Arizona has won four in a row overall, its longest winning streak since a five-game run from April 12-17.

The comeback win on Thursday also marked the first time since 1973 that Atlanta blew a lead of six runs or greater in the ninth inning.

“That’s a great comeback by us. That was a team effort,” said Arizona third baseman Eugenio Suarez, whose two-out double brought in the tying and go-ahead runs. “I’m happy we go to Cincinnati with a sweep in the pocket.”

For the series opener against the Reds, the Diamondbacks will hand the ball to left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, who is coming off the 15-day injured list to start the game.

Rodriguez (1-3, 7.05 ERA) last pitched for Cincinnati on May 14 in a no-decision against the San Francisco Giants. He allowed four runs and five hits in four innings before going on the IL because of shoulder inflammation.

He threw 4 2/3 innings in a rehab outing on May 30 in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League, permitting four runs (three earned) but striking out nine.

Opponents are hitting just .231 against the Reds this season, the seventh-lowest mark in the majors, but Cincinnati is struggling to string victories together.

After dropping four of their past five, the Reds hope to rediscover their winning ways against the Diamondbacks.

Cincinnati had climbed back over .500 (25-24) after winning five straight in the middle of last month, but the Reds have since gone 5-9 to fall back to fourth place in the National League Central.

“It is frustrating,” Cincinnati catcher Jose Trevino said after a 9-1 loss to the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday. “The expectation of our team is to win. Everybody in this clubhouse, we expect to win. We want to win. We’re here to win. When we can’t stack up those W’s, yeah, it’s frustrating.”

The Reds, who own the 12th-best ERA in the majors (3.80), sustained another blow to their starting pitching staff when right-hander Hunter Greene was placed on the 15-day IL on Wednesday after re-injuring his groin.

Greene missed two starts last month with the same injury.

“Since it’s happened once and now this is twice, we’ve got to figure this out,” Reds manager Terry Francona said. “His lower back was starting to (bother him), we’re trying to figure out if it was related. We’ve got to get him healthy. It was kind of an easy decision, even without seeing the MRI.”

The Reds signed 38-year-old left-hander Wade Miley to a one-year contract on Wednesday, and he is tentatively scheduled to pitch on Monday at Cleveland.

The Reds plan to start left-hander Nick Lodolo in the series opener against the Diamondbacks.

Lodolo (4-4, 3.10 ERA) recorded six shutout innings against the hot-hitting Chicago Cubs on Saturday. However, he did not receive any run support and failed to get a decision in the 2-0 loss.

Lodolo has never faced the Diamondbacks in his career. Rodriguez is 1-1 with a 2.77 ERA in two career starts against the Reds, in 2017 and 2023.

The teams are squaring off for the first time this year. The Reds lost five of six to the Diamondbacks last season, including an Arizona sweep in Cincinnati.

Diamondbacks designated hitter Josh Naylor left the Thursday game for a pinch hitter in the sixth inning. A day earlier, Arizona manager Torey Lovullo noted that Naylor was dealing with shoulder and hand ailments.

–Field Level Media