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Robbie Ray

Ray has been a nightmare for Dodgers hitters this season. In his last outing against the Dodgers on Monday night, Ray was masterful, striking out 14 batters. According to Elias Sports Bureau, Ray is the first pitcher in Major League history with four games of ten or more strikeouts in a season against the Dodgers. Obviously if the Diamondbacks cannot win the Wild Card game, this will be a moot point, but assuming they win the Wild Card game with ace Zach Greinke on the mound, Ray would be the starter in Game 1 against the Dodgers. In that Game 1, he would most likely square off against Clayton Kershaw and while the edge should be given to Kershaw anytime he takes the mound, Ray’s dominance against the Dodgers this season would make that matchup more of a tossup than it otherwise may have been. Ray has gone 3–0 with a 2.27 ERA in 31 2/3 innings against LA this season. Those stats should make Diamondbacks fans confident and Dodgers fans nervous if Ray does take the mound in a potential NLDS matchup.

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2. J.D. Martinez

Martinez was the best trade deadline acquisition in the Majors this season. The Diamondbacks traded for the power-hitting outfielder to offset their massive struggles against left-handed pitching and boy, has it paid off. Martinez has mashed the baseball, hitting 18 homeruns since joining Arizona, including a historic 4 home run game Monday night against the Dodgers. This is particularly important for the Diamondbacks should they meet the Dodgers in the playoffs, as Los Angeles is likely to start three left-handed pitchers in any postseason series they play. Given Martinez’s power surge and Paul Goldschmidt’s MVP caliber season, the Diamondbacks now have serious pop in a lineup that can hit both lefties and righties equally.

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3. They are NL West Rivals

Most teams might fear playing the Dodgers in the postseason given how historically dominant Los Angeles has been throughout this season. But the D-Backs are only one of two teams with a winning record against the Dodgers this season, posting an impressive 11–8 mark against them (the Nationals are 2–1 against LA). But the biggest factor for the Diamondbacks is their familiarity with LA. They have played each other 19 times this season, so both teams have a solid grasp on how to strategically matchup versus one another. Furthermore, when the Diamondbacks’ pitching staff is clicking, it is one of the best rotations in baseball, as evidenced by the team’s current 13-game win streak, and can go head to head with LA’s loaded starting rotation. Again, we are still a ways away from a D-Backs and Dodgers clash in the NLDS, but as the postseason approaches, this is one potential matchup that could be much more entertaining than originally anticipated.