The set-up: The Arizona Diamondbacks have beaten the Colorado Rockies 12-9 and 11-4 the last two nights and have now evened the season series between the two clubs at nine games apiece. Colorado owns a slight edge in runs scored (125-123) but for all intents and purposes, this series is about as dead-even as one can get. The 60-84 D'backs have dropped out of postseason consideration quite some time ago and with seven losses in their last 11 games, the 69-76 Rockies have fallen well off the pace in the NL wild-card race as well, as they are now eight games behind the New York Mets for the second wild-card spot.

The pitching matchup: Jeff Hoffman (0-3, 5.60 ERA) starts for Colorado and Rubby De La Rosa (4-5, 4.17 ERA) takes the mound for Arizona. Hoffman will make his fifth major league start, still looking for his first win. He is coming off his shortest career outing, lasting just 2 2/3 innings last Thursday in a 14-1 loss at San Diego, giving up six hits and seven runs but all were unearned. De La Rosa is making his second start after missing more than three months with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow. He pitched just two innings in his first outing and gave up one run, one hit and two walks while striking out three against San Francisco. De La Rosa is 4-1 with a 3.43 ERA in eight career appearances (six starts / team is 4-2) against Colorado and this marks Hoffman's first appearance vs. Arizona.

The pick: Hoffman was acquired from Toronto in the package that sent Troy Tulowitzki to the Blue Jays at the 2015 trade deadline but owns just one quality start in his first four here in 2016. His 5.60 ERA, 1.81 WHIP and .297 BAA hardly bodes well up against an Arizona lineup which pounded out 17 hits in Tuesday's 11-4 win (had 12 runs on 16 hits in Monday's 12-9 win) and now has 10 hits or more in 13 consecutive games against Colorado. Hoffman will have to wait at least one more start to get that first big league win. Arizona is an 8* play as it completes the sweep.