D-backs' Michael Soroka, riding hot streak, turns focus to Blue Jays

The Arizona Diamondbacks will return home as one of the hottest teams in baseball, set to open a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night in Phoenix.

Since a 9-6 win over the Detroit Tigers on March 30, the Diamondbacks have won 11 times. Only the San Diego Padres (12) have won more in that stretch. Arizona completed a 6-3 road trip by winning all three series -- against the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Baltimore Orioles.

Arizona has eight comeback victories this season and has won six of 10 one-run games. The Diamondbacks have not lost a series since being swept by the Dodgers to open the season, winning four and splitting the other series.

"That's our identity, to do what the at-bat calls for," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. "That's the type of baseball we play here. It's gritty and helps you stay in games."

Arizona right-bander Michael Soroka (3-0, 2.87 ERA) is scheduled to face Blue Jays left-hander Eric Lauer (1-2, 7.82) in the series opener.

The injury-depleted Blue Jays have lost four of the past five games and 10 of 13. They have lost five straight series while playing without premier hitters George Springer and Alejandro Kirk and starting pitchers Jose Berrios, Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage and Cody Ponce.

The Blue Jays are coming off a series defeat to the Milwaukee Brewers, in which Toronto lost two 2-1 games. The Jays have not seen the anticipated production from offseason free-agent acquisition Kazuma Okamoto, who was 0-for-4 on Thursday and has just two hits in his past 23 at-bats. After hitting a home run in two of the first four games of the season, he has no homers and two RBIs since.

"Over the long course of a season, I know there are going to be ups and downs, and that's not different from playing in Japan," Okamoto told MLB.com through an interpreter. "I think this is just a little lull right now, and hopefully I can get it going soon."

Arizona is receiving help from perhaps unexpected sources.

Catcher Adrian Del Castillo had five RBIs in an 8-5, 10-inning victory at Baltimore to complete the trip Wednesday. His two-run homer in the 10th was the decider, and he also had a two-run triple in the third and an RBI groundout in the seventh. He has 10 RBIs, one behind team leader Corbin Carroll.

"Honestly, we've had some crazy wins and some good wins," Del Castillo said in a TV interview. "We all work together. We just keep having fun. I think we have to feed off these wins and take it home and keep doing it."

Utility player Ildemaro Vargas has hit in all 12 games he has played, a franchise record to start the season. He has played at first, second and third bases and also left field. He has five doubles, two homers, eight RBIs and a .383 batting average.

Soroka has won all three of his starts and has two 10-strikeout games in just 15 2/3 total innings. Soroka, 28, who spent the 2025 season playing for the Washington Nationals and Chicago Cubs, and Randy Johnson are the only two pitchers in franchise history with 10 or more strikeouts in two of their first three appearances with the team.

Against the Blue Jays, Soroka is 1-2 with a 5.09 ERA in five career games (four starts) but has faced them only twice since 2019.

Lauer beat the Athletics 5-2 on March 29 to open his season but has lost his past two starts, and he gave up seven runs on five hits and two homers in a 7-4 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Saturday.

Lauer is 4-4 with a 2.38 ERA in 10 career starts against Arizona. He gave up one run and struck out eight in five innings in an 8-1 victory over the D-Backs last June 18, his only start against them since 2022. He played for the Brewers that season.

--Field Level Media