Pirates

Pirates Preview: Can Bucs Salvage Series in Desert?

Published

2 months ago

July 28, 2024

Pittsburgh Pirates' Mitch Keller delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Thursday, March 28, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

The Pittsburgh Pirates once again were on the losing end against the Arizona Diamondbacks, falling 9-5 on Saturday night at Chase Field.

Marco Gonzales and Quinn Priester combined to allow all nine runs in 6.1 innings pitched. Oneil Cruz finished the game 2 for 4 and hit a mammoth home run that measured 472 feet in the first inning.

The Pirates (52-52) will need to find a way to stop the bleeding and salvage their series against the Diamondbacks (55-50) on Saturday.

First pitch is set for 4:10 ET and the game will be aired on SportsNet Pittsburgh.

Weather

It’s a good thing Chase Field is protected by a roof. Temperatures in Phoenix are expected to reach 107 degrees on Sunday.

The Pittsburgh Pirates Will Send Out RHP Mitch Keller (10-5, 3.34 ERA)

In his most recent start, Keller allowed one run in seven innings against the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park on Monday. It was the right-hander’s first outing of the second half.

Keller’s seven-inning performance came after a three-inning outing snapped his stretch of 49-straight starts of pitching at least five innings. It was the longest active streak in baseball and tied for the second-longest in team history.

Keller hasn’t been quite as sharp pitching on the road this season as he has PNC Park. In Pittsburgh, Keller has a 2.74 ERA, but in away games, he’s posted a 4.04 ERA.

In three previous starts against Arizona, Keller is 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA.

The Arizona Diamondbacks Will Send Out RHP Yilber Diaz (1-1, 5.40)

This will be Diaz’s fourth-career start since the Diamondbacks selected his contract from Triple-A Reno on July 8. The 23-year-old is rated as Arizona’s No. 15 prospect, per MLB Pipeline.

Through 15 innings to begin his big-league career, Diaz has walked four and struck out seven. Opponents are hitting .288 with a .508 slugging percentage and have a pair of homers against him.

Diaz’s three-pitch mix is led by a power fastball. He also throws a curveball and a slider.

This will be his first time facing the Pirates.

Diamondbacks Hitters vs. Keller

Eugenio Suàrez: 2 for 13, one home run, one RBI, three walks, seven strikeouts
Ketel Marte: 4 for 9, one home run, two RBIs, one strikeout
Christian Walker: 1 for 8, one RBI, two strikeouts
Joc Pederson: 1 for 7, three RBIs, three strikeouts
Geraldo Perdomo: 0 for 7, three strikeouts
Alek Thomas: 2 for 5, one strikeout
Corbin Carroll: 1 for 4, one RBI, two walks, one strikeout
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.: 0 for 4, one walk
Gabriel Moreno: 0 for 4, one walk, one strikeout

Pirates Hitters vs. Diaz

Tidbits

Oneil Cruz’s 472-foot home run is the sixth-longest homer in the league this season. The Giants’ Jorge Soler has the longest, a 478-foot homer at Coors First on July 21.
Mitch Keller enters Sunday’s start ranked eighth in the National League with 121.1 innings pitched on the season.
In danger of losing their third-straight, the Pirates have not dropped three games in a row since May 7-10.