The question has crossed Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen’s mind: Could his team fool him in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline?

For 3 1/2 months, the Diamondbacks have looked like the epitome of a .500 team. Good series have been followed by bad ones. Prolonged win streaks have been evasive. They might strain their necks looking up at all the teams above them in the wild-card race.

And so if the Diamondbacks were to, say, win nine of their first 10 games coming out of the break — they won their proverbial second half opener, 7-3, over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night, July 18, at Chase Field — would Hazen be concerned their hot streak was a mirage?

Would he worry that buying would not be wise, even if the Diamondbacks found themselves back in the race?

“That’s absolutely what I think sometimes,” Hazen said. “But I also think that being fooled by a team that you don’t believe is talented is one thing. But having a team that you feel like — starting pitching-wise, position players — is very talented? No.”

On nights like this, it is easy to see why Hazen would say that. His offense pounded out 11 hits, taking controlled at-bats and spraying balls across the field. Right-hander Brandon Pfaadt fired seven scoreless innings. And the Diamondbacks’ defense turned in a flawless performance, highlighted by a terrific catch at the wall from center fielder Alek Thomas.

Despite being without second baseman Ketel Marte, who was placed on the restricted list following a burglary at his Scottsdale home, the Diamondbacks were in total control for nearly the entire game.

Hazen admits his team could use some help. His offense is good. His rotation has the potential to be, as well. His bullpen could use upgrades, but even beyond that, he sees a path toward improvement, with right-handers Shelby Miller and Ryan Thompson and lefty Jalen Beeks trending toward returns from the injured list.

But he needs his team to make the most of these final 12 games before the July 31 deadline for him to even think about buying. Maybe that doesn’t mean it goes undefeated, but it doesn’t have much room for error, especially considering that it entered the Cardinals series three games under .500 and 5 1/2 games out of a wild-card spot.

Hazen said he had not yet told rival GMs that any of his players were definitively available — that is, he had not declared himself a seller — but he seemed clearly to be leaning in that direction.

“I’m not against changing how we view this in terms of what the strategy could be,” Hazen said, “but I feel like with every day that passes, we’re getting pinned more and more into a corner of having to make a decision that is what’s best for the team and/or the organization.

“What I want to do and what ultimately happens, I’m not 100 percent sure those things are going to match up.”

The Diamondbacks collected four singles and a walk to score three times in the second inning against Cardinals right-hander Andre Pallante. They scored two more in the third, getting two more singles and another walk.

It was 5-0 in the fifth when the Cardinals’ Jordan Walker blasted a ball toward the wall in left-center. Thomas left his feet just in front of the wall, catching the ball and crashing into the fence in one motion. He then let out a celebratory scream.

Pfaadt had little trouble, turning in a second consecutive impressive outing. He allowed just four hits, walked none and struck out six. He induced eight swinging strikes on his slider.

The Cardinals made things mildly interesting in the ninth, scoring three times off reliever John Curtiss and forcing manager Torey Lovullo to get reliever Kevin Ginkel warm in the bullpen, but Curtiss got a double-play ground ball from Ivan Herrera to end it.

—Nick Piecoro

Pfaadt dealing as offense gives him a 6-run lead

The Arizona Diamondbacks are off to a good start on Friday, July 18, with a 6-0 lead through five innings at Chase Field against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Designated hitter Adrian Del Castillo, in his 2025 Diamondbacks debut after being called up from Triple-A Reno, has three hits and a run batted in and has scored twice. Geraldo Perdomo has tripled and singled and has two RBIs.

Starting pitcher Brandon Pfaadt has kept the Cardinals off the scoreboard in five innings of work, with no runs on two hits allowed. Pfaadt has four strikeouts, no walks and has kept his pitch count down.

The Diamondbacks scored three runs in the second inning and two in the third. In the top of the fifth, center fielder Alek Thomas robbed the Cardinals’ Jordan Walker of extra bases with a catch while crashing into the wall near the 413-foot sign.

-José M. Romero

Ketel Marte given time off to sort through home burglary

The Diamondbacks placed second baseman Ketel Marte on the restricted list, a move that gives him time to deal with the fallout of his Scottsdale home being burglarized earlier this week, manager Torey Lovullo said.

“We all know what he’s dealing with,” Lovullo said on Friday, July 18. “It’s been unfortunate. As I said yesterday, there are some savages out there that don’t respect people’s privacy. Where he’s at right now — I’ve had limited contact with him — I think he retreats a little bit when he gets upset, and I respect that space and I’m going to give him that space. He just needs a couple personal days right now.”

Lovullo said Marte asked for the days off and he does not expect him to be gone for long.

“I think it’s going to be short term,” Lovullo said.

Marte’s home was the subject of a investigation by the Scottsdale police into what it called a “high-dollar residential burglary.” Marte was away this week at the All-Star Game in Atlanta, where he delivered a two-run double for the National League in the first inning.

Players who are on the restricted list are not paid and do not take up a 40-man roster spot. The list can be used for a variety of instances, including personal reasons.

There is no minimum stay on the restricted list; in theory Marte could be activated as soon as the second game of the team’s three-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals. A source indicated Marte is expected back “in the next day or two.”

After speaking about the importance of the club’s current stretch of games as it relates to the organization’s direction at the trade deadline, Lovullo was asked if he were disappointed Marte wasn’t here to help.

“He’s a great baseball player and when he’s in the lineup we can impact the game in a bunch of different ways,” Lovullo said. “But I’m very respectful of the position he’s in now. I would love it if he was here, but he’s not, and we just have to deal with the circumstances.”

Taking Marte’s place on the roster is infielder Sergio Alcantara, whom the Diamondbacks signed to a major-league deal.

Alcantara appeared in one game for the San Francisco Giants earlier this month and was released on July 10. He has played parts of four seasons in the majors.

This will be his second big-league stint with the Diamondbacks, who originally signed him out of the Dominican Republic in 2012 before trading him to the Detroit Tigers as part of the J.D. Martinez deal in 2017.

—Nick Piecoro

Injury updates and roster moves

Lovullo shared health updates on several players on Friday, July 18, prior to the team’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Chase Field.

Left-handed pitcher Jalen Beeks is scheduled for a bullpen session on Saturday, July 19, and could face live hitting on Tuesday, July 22. Right-handed pitcher Shelby Miller is also scheduled for a bullpen session on July 19.

Beeks is on the 15-day injured list with back soreness and Miller has a right forearm issue.

“In both cases, that’s good, encouraging news,” Lovullo said. “Once they get back on the mound, see how they feel, anything is possible.”

Right-handed reliever Ryan Thompson (15-day IL, strained scapular) is throwing 60 feet and told Lovullo he is feeling good.

Catcher Gabriel Moreno is set for a follow-up scan of his problematic right hand contusion, which on July 18 landed him on the 60-day injured list. Moreno and DH/first baseman Pavin Smith (strained oblique, 10-day IL) are getting closer to resuming baseball activity.

The Diamondbacks have reinforcements from Triple-A Reno in catcher Adrian Del Castillo, infielder and right-handed pitcher Trevor Richards, plus Alcantara.

All three players were part of roster moves made on July 18, with Marte placed on the restricted list to deal with a personal matter, infielder Tristin English optioned to Reno and Moreno’s designation.

“I like the ease to his game,” Lovullo said of Alcantara. “He’s very comfortable in the box. He’s great defensively at three different positions.”

Richards brings a lot of experience to the team. He’s worked out of the bullpen in the nine games in which he has appeared for Reno. He’s played in the majors for the Marlins, Rays, Blue Jays, Brewers, Twins and Royals.

“If he gets on a really good run for us, he can get some big outs for us as well,” Lovullo said.

-José M. Romero

‘I felt terrible’: White Sox pitcher on Suarez HBP

White Sox pitcher Shane Smith sounded remorseful about hitting Eugenio Suarez with a pitch in the All-Star Game, the second time he has plunked the Diamondbacks’ slugger in the past month.

“I felt terrible about it,” Smith told reporters, as relayed by MLB.com’s Scott Merkin.

Smith drilled Suarez with a 96.3 mph fastball in the All-Star Game earlier this week. On June 23, he hit him with a 95.9 mph fastball, causing him to miss parts of three games.

Luckily for Suarez — and the Diamondbacks — X-rays on Suarez’s left pinky finger were negative. He was back in the lineup for the Diamondbacks’ series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday, July 18.

“Trust me, that’s the last thing I wanted to do, especially hit somebody, especially in the All-Star Game,” Smith said. “And he’s having a great year. And I’ve heard only good things about him.

“If I could ever get a chance to talk to him, I would apologize. If there’s anything I could get him that he doesn’t already have, I’d get it for him. Hopefully, he doesn’t hate me too much. But he probably does, and I understand if he does.”

Suarez didn’t go that far, but he did seem baffled that Smith had hit him twice in such a short period.

“I want to know if I did something to him because I have no idea what’s going on,” Suarez said on July 18. “This game is like that, you never know what’s going to happen. I really think he didn’t do it on purpose.”

—Nick Piecoro

Coming up

July 19: At Chase Field, 4:15 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Ryne Nelson (5-2, 3.68) vs. Cardinals RHP Sonny Gray (9-3, 3.50).

July 20: At Chase Field, 1:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Merrill Kelly (8-5, 3.34) vs. Cardinals RHP Miles Mikolas (5-6, 4.94).

July 21: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks TBA vs. Astros TBA.

(This story has been updated to add new information.)