The Arizona Diamondbacks wrap up July on the road Friday night, heading to Progressive Field in Cleveland for a 7:10 PM ET first pitch against the Guardians. Mitch Bratt gets the ball for Arizona against Tanner Bibee in what shapes up as a compelling pitching matchup. With the trade deadline falling on the same day, there's extra electricity around this one — every game from here on out carries added weight as teams sort out their rosters and sharpen their playoff pictures.

Diamondbacks at Guardians: Starting Pitching Preview

Mitch Bratt draws the assignment for Arizona. The left-hander has been working his way through big-league lineups, and Cleveland's lineup will test him. The Guardians counter with Tanner Bibee, a right-hander who has established himself as one of the more reliable arms in the American League. Bibee works with quality stuff and the ability to get deep into games — exactly the kind of pitcher that can neutralize a D-backs offense that needs to stay patient and work counts to do damage.

Arizona Diamondbacks Starting Lineup

• Corbin Carroll — RF
• Geraldo Perdomo — SS
• Gabriel Moreno — C
• Ketel Marte — 2B
• Max Kepler — LF
• Nolan Arenado — 3B
• Adrian Del Castillo — DH
• Tim Tawa — 1B
• Ryan Waldschmidt — CF

Cleveland Guardians Starting Lineup

• Angel Martínez — RF
• José Ramírez — 3B
• Chase DeLauter — DH
• Rhys Hoskins — 1B
• Brayan Rocchio — SS
• David Fry — LF
• Travis Bazzana — 2B
• Austin Hedges — C
• Steven Kwan — CF

Keys to Watch for the Diamondbacks

• Bratt vs. a disciplined Cleveland lineup: The Guardians routinely grind at-bats and make pitchers work. Bratt will need to throw strikes early in counts without leaving pitches over the heart of the plate, especially with José Ramírez lurking in the two-hole.
• Ketel Marte hitting cleanup: With Marte batting fourth, Arizona is leaning on its most consistent middle-of-the-order bat to drive in runs. How he handles Bibee's secondary stuff could define the offensive outcome.
• Corbin Carroll at the top: Carroll leading off means Arizona's best chance to generate early traffic falls on his speed and on-base ability. Getting him on base against Bibee early changes what the offense can do.
• Arenado in the six-hole: Nolan Arenado slotted sixth is an interesting construction. If the top of the order gets rolling, Arenado's power becomes a threat with runners on base rather than in a vacuum.

Prediction

This is a tough road spot. Bibee is a legitimate challenge, and Progressive Field is not a venue where road teams take anything for granted. That said, Arizona's lineup has enough veteran presence — Marte, Arenado, Carroll — to make noise against anyone. The game likely comes down to how deep Bratt can go and whether the Arizona bullpen can protect a close score late. Expect a tight, low-scoring game. Give the slight edge to Cleveland at home, but the D-backs are capable of stealing this one if Bratt is on from the first inning.

Catch the game on DBACKS.TV or Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.