PHOENIX -- The Diamondbacks hit five home runs and beat the undermanned A's, 15-5, on Wednesday afternoon at Chase Field to capture the series and push their record to 53-49, but the real test lies ahead.
After the game, the Diamondbacks boarded their charter flight for a grueling road trip that will likely determine their direction for the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline.
The first stop is a makeup game in St. Louis on Thursday before a trio of three-game series in Washington, Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Three of those teams are near the Diamondbacks in the NL Wild Card standings while the Guardians entered Wednesday tied atop the AL Central.
The Diamondbacks have played better of late despite a slew of injuries, and general manager Mike Hazen would like to be a buyer at the Deadline, but a final decision has yet to be made.
"I want to add to the places that we have areas that need improvement, for sure," Hazen said prior to Wednesday's game. "We've been playing better of late. Need to keep going. We're playing very stiff competition coming up, and we'll see where it lands."
Hazen has had conversations mainly regarding buying with other teams, but he's also taken calls from teams who have inquired about who might be available if the Diamondbacks were to sell.
All three options remain on the table for the Diamondbacks. They could buy, they could sell or they could do some combination of both.
Arizona's primary need is for a first baseman, a position where Arizona has gotten very little production.
"Fixing the first base/DH problem in terms of production is something that we need to continue to address," Hazen said. "And I'm hoping somebody internally is going to do it, but that hasn't really happened to the degree that we need it to."
Even if Hazen only does a little bit of buying at the Deadline, the Diamondbacks figure to see their roster get better as they get some of their injured players back.
Arizona is optimistic that right-handed starter Michael Soroka could return soon, and with righty Zac Gallen starting to throw again, there’s hope he could also return.
Closer Justin Martinez should be back from Tommy John surgery not long after the Aug. 3 Deadline, while starters Corbin Burnes and Ryne Nelson could be back in September.
On the position player side of things, outfielders Tommy Troy, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Jordan Lawlar could also all be back in August.
That's eight players and a lot of depth.
"Doesn't seem like there's a huge swath of them that'll be coming back right at the Deadline," Hazen said. "So there may be some bridging to get from that period at the Deadline to when some of them come back. I still contend this team could look much different going through August and September when everybody gets back, regardless of what we do at the Deadline."
Hazen will be mindful of the starting pitcher market as well. While Burnes and Nelson are slated to return in September, it's possible that Nelson in particular might not have enough time to build up his pitch count, necessitating the need to work out of the bullpen.
Interestingly enough, this appears to be the first year where the Diamondbacks will not be heavy into the relief market.
"The bullpen has done very well," Hazen said. "Those guys are in a good spot. J-Mart is coming back. He's going to add to it. He seems to be doing well, and if he comes back, that's adding the best thing I could go out and acquire."
Last year, the Diamondbacks came out of the All-Star break and swept the Cardinals in a three-game series, but then dropped eight of the next nine games before the Deadline -- forcing Hazen to sell.
That's an outcome the players want to avoid this time around.
"It's obviously a big one," Wednesday's winning pitcher Merrill Kelly said. "It definitely has some big implications on it. Hopefully, we can take the momentum of the baseball we've been playing at home and take it on the road and squeak out some wins. That way we can put ourselves in a good place to be on the right side of the ball for the Deadline."