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The Arizona Diamondbacks appear to finally be hitting their stride after winning this weekend's series against the Athletics, but their upcoming slate of games will not be easy. Following an off-day on Monday, the D-backs will hit the road and take on two AL West foes in what promises to be an exciting week of interleague play.
First up will be the Texas Rangers, who might have the best offense in baseball. They are led by MVP frontrunner Josh Hamilton and have a very strong supporting cast that features speedy shortstop Elvis Andrus and sluggers Ian Kinsler, Mike Napoli and Adrian Beltre. Texas currently has the second-best record in the American League, although they are just 4-6 in the month of June.
All three games with the Rangers are set to begin at 5:05 MST.
The Diamondbacks will then head west to take on Albert Pujols and the Los Angeles Angels, who have probably been baseball's biggest disappointment this year. For a team that was such a trendy pick to win the World Series, they are just 32-29 in a bad AL West.
Pujols' numbers are still pretty mediocre, although he has shown signs of life the last few weeks. The player to watch for in Anaheim is 20-year-old phenom Mike Trout, who has been incredible since being called up in early May. His OPS of .950 is unheard-of for a kid his age, and he already has 13 stolen bases in 38 games.
The games on Friday and Saturday are scheduled for 7:05 p.m., with Sunday's set for 12:35.
For more on the D-backs be sure to check out AZ Snake Pit.