Arizona Diamondbacks Face a Must-Win Series Against Washington Nationals

The Arizona Diamondbacks have hit a rough patch of late. After beginning their 10-game road trip by beating All-Star Roy Halladay in Philadelphia, the Diamondbacks have since lost five straight.

The upcoming series against the Washington Nationals has become the biggest to date, as every series from here on out will grow in multitude.  

Despite the recent slide, the team is still 69-58 on the season and is still atop the NL West by 1.5 games over the San Francisco Giants.

The series in the nation's capital against the Nationals is a must-win. The two teams split a four-game series in Arizona back in June.

Even though the Diamondbacks have lost five in a row, they still have a 33-32 record on the road. The team has proven to be relentless this season and has stood up to the pressure thus far. There is no reason to believe that they would fold now. 

The Diamondbacks will send Joe Saunders, Ian Kennedy, Daniel Hudson and Wade Miley to the mound in Washington. The key to to the series will be Wade Miley making his second MLB start in the finale.

With Jason Marquis falling to injury, the Diamondbacks need a solid fifth starter. 

The Washington Nationals are 61-64 on the season and are not to be taken lightly. The Nationals are 36-25 at home and have just come off a series win against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Needless to say, the team's moral is riding high at the moment.

Look for the Diamondbacks offense to get back on track in D.C. The team is averaging 4.4 runs per game on the season but has only scored nine runs in six games on its road trip. Fans can expect the volatile Diamondbacks to erupt once again against the Nationals.

Manager Kirk Gibson will be sure to tell his team that these are the up-and-down obstacles a winning team must go through in order to become a playoff team.

The upstart Arizona Diamondbacks will return to their winning ways in Washington.