None of that has stopped Arizona from playing like a team that wants in on the race. They've won 4 of their last 5, and GM Mike Hazen says the front office wants to buy before next week's trade deadline, even if the record hasn't fully earned it yet. It's not hard to see why the market likes the Diamondbacks once you watch Rodriguez pitch.
Rodriguez's turnaround is the best story in the desert this year. He showed up to camp lighter, scrapped his old fastball-heavy approach for a changeup-first attack, and the results are an ERA in the 2s and his first career All-Star nod. Palmquist doesn't have that kind of track record yet — his ERA is still ugly, and his last outing didn't even make it through 2 innings.
Washington isn't just running out the clock, either. James Wood and CJ Abrams have kept this offense dangerous even in a season defined by a front-office shakeup last year, and the Nationals have found a way to win 3 of their last 5, including a pair of lopsided routs of Colorado.
How much Arizona misses Marte and Carroll tonight will go a long way toward deciding this one. Both are considered day-to-day, but neither's a lock to play, and a Diamondbacks lineup that's used to steamrolling teams could look very different without them.