The Arizona Diamondbacks have an off day after their series win over the Oakland Athletics. They improved their record to 41-43 and are 2.5 games out of a wild card spot, but the road ahead won't get much easier as it begins with a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

While each series could be considered “decisive” for the D-backs at a time when every game brings them closer or further away from a potential playoff spot, Arizona will have to be at its best to hold its own against the mighty Dodgers. Next up is perhaps one of the most important series of the year so far in San Diego.

As expected, the Dodgers have presented a tough challenge to the D-backs this season, even though the season series is tied at three games.

The Dodgers won two of three games at Chase Field in April, and the Diamondbacks got revenge in May with a seemingly dominant series win at Dodger Stadium, where they faced two of LA's best pitchers.

Now Arizona returns to Chavez Ravine looking to continue its winning streak at Dodger Stadium that stretches back to last year's NLDS.

The D-backs' starting lineup is still relatively weak due to the absence of Eduardo Rodriguez and Merrill Kelly, and Jordan Montgomery's struggles continue, but Arizona will also have the opportunity to face some of the Dodgers' less intimidating starters.

Tuesday, July 2, RHP Ryne Nelson vs. RHP Bobby Miller

Ryne Nelson has continued his up-and-down streak, making some very strong starts before imploding in his last start. In two consecutive starts, he has pitched 13 strong innings, recording 10 strikeouts and allowing just three runs.

In his last appearance against the Minnesota Twins, he allowed 10 hits and 6 runs in 3 2/3 innings. His ERA has barely budged from the mid-5.00s at 5.69, and opponents are hitting .314 against him. He'll have to play well against the Dodgers' elite top line and could have very little room to maneuver with the bullpen rested after an off day.

Bobby Miller hasn't looked great this season, with a 6.75 ERA and a 5.46 FIP despite pitching just 20 innings in five starts. In his last outing, he pitched just two innings, allowing four hits, three walks and three runs. The D-backs have a chance to get an early lead against a shaky young pitcher, but will need to score a lot of runs to keep up with LA's potent offense.

Wednesday, July 3, LHP Jordan Montgomery vs. RHP Gavin Stone

On paper, this matchup will be the most one-sided against the D-backs in the series. Montgomery has struggled in most of his starts and was most recently steamrolled by the Minnesota Twins, where he allowed eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits in just 2 2/3 innings.

A costly error by Kevin Newman at third base may have made the inning last longer than it should have, but Montgomery's ERA is still 6.44 and the fact is that he just hasn't been at his best with the D-backs this year.

I've been studying Montgomery's tendency to leave balls in the heart of the zone and how often they get destroyed, and that problem only seems to be getting worse right now unless he can solve his positioning issues or add a little more movement to his shots.

Gavin Stone had a rocky start to the season but has since developed into a very effective pitcher for the Dodgers. He has posted a 1.97 ERA in two consecutive months since a rough April and pitched an impressive complete-game shutout in his last start against the White Sox, throwing just 103 pitches and allowing four hits.

Stone could pose a real challenge for the D-backs, although he walks a fair amount of batters. His high strikeout rate and low WHIP require patient at-bats and waiting for the right pitch.

Thursday, July 4, RHP Zac Gallen vs. RHP Landon Knack

The D-backs have sorely missed their star player Zac Gallen in recent weeks. After returning from a hamstring injury, Gallen put together one of his most brilliant performances in recent memory, going six scoreless innings on just 77 pitches, allowing just one hit and striking out seven players against the A's.

An off day allowed coach Torey Lovullo to insert Gallen into Slade Cecconi's scheduled start at a time when the D-backs need to send their best arms forward.

Both his skill and speed looked better than ever, as he reached 97 MPH on his fastball and threw two of the fastest pitches of his career, lowering his ERA to 2.83 and his WHIP to 1.07. The D-backs desperately need the ace to continue that trajectory, as they still have a top-heavy rotation.

Landon Knack has only pitched six starts for the Dodgers, but he has been very good in those, never allowing more than two runs in a start, although he has only made it past the fifth inning once.

Arizona was only able to score a single run against him on a solo shot in their last meeting at Chase Field, although the D-backs won that “Bee Game” in overtime by a walk-off victory, which was not due to a bad start by Knack.

His 2.08 ERA and 0.96 WHIP are intimidating, but his FIP of more than double 4.21 suggests he's benefited from some luck in his hitting and may be in for a regression. Again, getting him early will be key for Arizona.

Of course, the Dodgers have an All-Star core of top hitters, with Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani headlining the team.

Still, the D-backs have done a relatively solid job of keeping the big three at bay. The Ohtani-Freeman-Betts trio has batted a combined 15-for-65 (.231) in six games against the D-backs this season, with eight RBIs and just one home run.

Not surprisingly, most of that success comes from Ohtani, who hit 6-of-20 (.300) against Arizona, while Betts and Freeman posted batting averages of .238 and .167, respectively.

Of course, this will be a big challenge for the Diamondbacks, but their pitching staff has largely been up to the task of dealing with these offensive weapons.