• Torey Lovullo on D-Backs' come-from-behind win over Phillies

    Torey Lovullo on D-Backs’ come-from-behind win over Phillies

  • Gregor Blanco discusses his game-tying homer vs. Phillies

    Gregor Blanco discusses his game-tying homer vs. Phillies

  • Patrick Corbin on his performance vs. Phillies

    Patrick Corbin on his performance vs. Phillies

  • Torey Lovullo on D-Backs' latest one-run win

    Torey Lovullo on D-Backs’ latest one-run win

  • Taijuan Walker on his first outing back from the disabled list

    Taijuan Walker on his first outing back from the disabled list

  • David Peralta on his go-ahead homer in win over Tigers

    David Peralta on his go-ahead homer in win over Tigers

  • Torey Lovullo after D-Backs' win over Tigers

    Torey Lovullo after D-Backs’ win over Tigers

  • Robbie Ray on D-Backs' win over Brewers

    Robbie Ray on D-Backs’ win over Brewers

  • Paul Goldschmidt on grand slam, offensive outburst

    Paul Goldschmidt on grand slam, offensive outburst

  • Godley on taking advantage of opportunity after D-Backs win

    Godley on taking advantage of opportunity after D-Backs win

  • Torey Lovullo after D-Backs' win over Brewers

    Torey Lovullo after D-Backs’ win over Brewers

  • Randall Delgado on his rough outing against Brewers

    Randall Delgado on his rough outing against Brewers

  • Lovullo on Diamondbacks' loss to Brewers

    Lovullo on Diamondbacks’ loss to Brewers

  • Chris Iannetta on his career-high 7 RBIs vs. Padres

    Chris Iannetta on his career-high 7 RBIs vs. Padres

The Diamondbacks are in Philadelphia looking for their sixth straight win and second consecutive against the Phillies on Saturday at 1:05 p.m. Check back for the latest Diamondbacks updates throughout the game.

Hazen taking nothing for granted in weak NL

The National League is a sort of competitive wasteland, with only five of the league’s 15 teams entering Saturday with winning records, a development that obviously figures to play into the Diamondbacks’ favor when it comes to their odds of reaching the postseason.

But General Manager Mike Hazen isn’t quite buying it – not yet, at least – and he’s not taking his club’s strong position in the standings for granted.

“I still think it’s early enough that that’s all going to shift,” Hazen said. “We still need to continue to play good baseball. I think there’s a lot of really good teams that, over the course of 162, we’ll see who they really are. Looking at it, the competitiveness of it today, I think it’s probably a little misleading.”

The Diamondbacks entered Saturday tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for second place in the National League West, both teams a game back of the first-place Colorado Rockies. The Diamondbacks and Dodgers had an eight-game lead on the next closest clubs in contention for the two wild-card spots.

And even if you wanted to take a more long-term view of things and assume that the World Series champion Chicago Cubs will awaken and win the National League Central despite being 33-33 through 66 games, the Diamondbacks and Dodgers are still 5 1/2 games up on the NL Central’s current first-place team, the Milwaukee Brewers.

“I have full understanding of how things stand today and what that means on the half season moving forward, too,” Hazen said. “But there’s such a long way to go, it hasn’t necessarily changed my outlook on how I view things.”

FanGraphs projected the Diamondbacks’ chances of reaching the postseason to be at 77.6 percent entering Saturday.

Saturday’s game

When: 1:05 p.m.

Where: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia.

Pitchers: Diamondbacks RHP Zack Godley (2-1, 2.44) vs. Phillies RHP Jerad Eickhoff (0-7, 5.09).

TV/Radio: FSAZ/KMVP-FM (98.7), KHOV-FM (105.1).

For the first time all season, Godley appears to have a decent hold on his spot in the starting rotation. He deserves it, given that he’s posted a 2.44 ERA in seven starts, never allowing more than three earned runs in an outing. … He is holding opponents to a .570 OPS; that would rank second in the National League if he had enough innings to qualify. … He has faced the Phillies just once, tossing a scoreless inning in relief last year. … Eickhoff had a promising first full season for the Phillies last year, logging 197 1/3 innings with a 3.65 ERA. He has not had the same success this year. After posting a 2.55 ERA in his first four starts, he’s allowed 33 earned runs in his past 46 innings (6.46 ERA).  … Eickhoff faced the Diamondbacks twice last year, giving up three runs in 5 2/3 innings in the first start and two runs in five innings the other one. … He averages 91 mph with his fastball but he’s known for his curveball, a pitch he throws about 31 percent of the time.

Saturday’s lineup

Rey Fuentes playing center field and batting eighth in the lineup Saturday.

Pollock to get rehab start in Reno on Saturday

A.J. Pollock’s return from a groin injury is drawing near, with Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo saying Friday his center fielder will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Reno on Saturday.

Lovullo said Pollock might only need 10 to 15 at-bats in the minors before he’s ready, and though he wouldn’t map out exactly when he could return, it would seem the beginning of the upcoming homestand next weekend would be possible.

Lovullo said Pollock ran the bases without restrictions on Friday, the first time he’s done so since the injury occurred on May 14, when he pulled up in pain on his way to first base on a routine single to right.

Pollock, who is scheduled to play five innings for Reno on Saturday, had three at-bats earlier this week in a simulated game, the only game action he’s had since the injury. But Lovullo thinks it’s less about the number of at-bats and more about just being prepared for game action.

READ MORE: Pollock gets rehab assignment as return nears

Bickley: D-Backs flourishing under great leadership

Leadership is the bridge between talent and success. The 2017 Diamondbacks are proof.

The team is 16 games over .500. They have nine more victories than the Cubs, the reigning World Series champions. Their sturdiness and conviction are beginning to captivate a region that hasn’t seen a playoff game in downtown Phoenix since 2011.

But long before the Valley regained trust in their erratic baseball franchise, these Diamondbacks bought into the new regime. That’s where this surprise story begins, connecting the dots between individual talent and clubhouse empowerment. And because good leaders know that belief is one of the most powerful forces on the planet.

The dramatic turnaround from 2016 isn’t the result of a dramatic roster overhaul, suggesting that Tony La Russa wasn’t that far off from producing a playoff-caliber team. But this time around, the team hired the right general manager in Mike Hazen, who has championship pedigree and a deep understanding of new-age analytics. They allowed him to select the ideal manager in Torey Lovullo, who has the charisma and relationship skills that Chip Hale lacked. The proof is right there in the standings.

READ MORE: Bickley: D-Backs flourishing under great leadership

Coming up

Sunday: At Philadelphia, 10:35 a.m., Diamondbacks LHP Robbie Ray (7-3, 2.62) vs. Phillies RHP Ben Lively (1-1, 3.00).

Monday: Off.

Tuesday: At Colorado, 5:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Zack Greinke (8-3, 3.00) vs. Rockies RHP German Marquez (5-3, 4.19).

Wednesday: At Colorado, 5:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Taijuan Walker (5-3, 3.32) vs. Rockies RHP Jeff Hoffman (4-0, 2.25).

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