Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez made one of his best starts of the season when he beat the Giants with 6 1/3 scoreless innings in San Francisco last week.
Rodriguez will attempt to duplicate that success on Tuesday when he and the Diamondbacks face the Giants in the second contest of a three-game series with National League wild-card implications in Phoenix.
The D-backs (76-75) leapfrogged the Giants (75-75) in the wild-card standings with an 8-1 victory on Monday, leaving Arizona 1 1/2 games behind the New York Mets (77-73) for the final playoff position. The Mets were idle on Monday before opening a three-game home series against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday.
Arizona has won three in a row and four of five while San Francisco has dropped three in a row and four of five.
Rodriguez (8-8, 4.98 ERA) has won three consecutive starts for the first time this year and is 5-1 with a 3.63 in his past eight outings.
“He’s in that bucket of players that there is no panic,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “He goes out there and executes. Takes a deep breath and does what he does best.
“I just like the heartbeat, I like the guy who stands on the mound and understands how to repeat pitches. When he doesn’t, he can make an adjustment. The reason he is having success, for me, is the location of his pitches. He is landing it in the right spot. The depth of his breaking ball. Reading swings. Changing speeds with the changeup and breaking ball.”
Rodriguez is pitching the way the D-backs envisioned when they signed him to a four-year, $80 million contract before the 2024 season.
Scoreboard-watching does not consume the group, he said.
“That’s the mentality you have to have,” Rodriguez said. “If you put pressure on yourself, that’s when you end up making errors or losing the game. Right now, we’re just going out there and having fun.”
The Giants had two hits against Rodriguez last week, singles by Casey Schmitt and Matt Chapman. Chapman is 8-for-21 (.381) with a homer against him. Willy Adames is hitless versus Rodriguez in 15 plate appearances.
Rodriguez beat San Francisco starter Carson Seymour on Wednesday, but Giants manager Bob Melvin said the Tuesday rematch is “going to have the look of more of a bullpen game.”
Tristan Beck (1-0, 4.88 ERA) will get the start, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The right-hander would be making his first start of the year. He faced Arizona for the first time on Sept. 8, and he gave up one run on two hits in two innings.
The Giants added reinforcements on Monday when Bryce Eldridge was promoted from Triple-A Sacramento to fill the vacancy created when first baseman Dominic Smith sustained a right hamstring strain on Friday that could keep him out for the rest of the season.
Eldridge, a 2023 first-round draft pick, had 18 homers in 66 games at Sacramento and amassed 25 homers in 102 games at three minor league levels this season.
“These guys are in a playoff push, and obviously they think I can make an impact on that,” the 20-year-old said. “My goal here is to help them get there.”
Eldridge, a left-handed hitter, went 0-for-3 with a strikeout on Tuesday while serving as the designated hitter in his major league debut.
“My message to him was, ‘Go up there and hit,'” Melvin said. “‘Stay with what works for you and your strengths. You’re here for a reason.'”
Eldridge will be in the lineup against righties, according to Melvin, and is likely to remain at DH while also working at first base. Rafael Devers made his 22nd start at first on Monday.
–Field Level Media
