Snakes got on a plane and flew to Cincinnati to face the Reds

The current iteration of the Arizona Diamondbacks is fun, man. Corbin Carroll is a legitimate breakout superstar just barely over 90 games into his big league career, while the pitching staff is anchored by an ace in Zac Gallen. They have drafted well, traded well, extended well, and put together perhaps the single best team in baseball that nobody tends to talk about.

They’ll enter play tonight in Cincinnati 11 games over the .500 mark and in 2nd place in the potent National League West. Much like the Reds, they’ve gone from a team stuck in the doldrums as recently as last year into a bona fide contender this season, and the timing of this series - right on the doorstep of the trade deadline - could very well dictate which moves the clubs make before it’s too late.

Lefty Tommy Henry gets the start for Arizona in tonight’s series opener, meaning the Reds will roll out their right-handed bats early and often against him. Ben Lively, meanwhile, will go for the Reds with hopes that the cramping issues that popped up in his last start (and cut it short) are firmly a thing of the past.

First pitch is set for 7:10 PM ET, and for whatever reason I’m expecting this game - and this series - to be full of offensive fireworks. Get your cheese coneys ready!

Reds Lineup

Diamondbacks Lineup