The Arizona Diamondbacks and Pittsburgh Pirates are back where they started after splitting two extra-inning games this week.
The Diamondbacks lead the Pirates by one game in the race for the final wild-card spot in the National League heading into the decisive contest of their three-game series in Pittsburgh on Wednesday afternoon.
The Pirates won 3-2 in 10 innings on Monday and overcame a six-run deficit before falling 8-7 in 12 innings on Tuesday.
“To battle the way that we did, there’s so many things that could have gone either way. I’m really proud of these guys,” Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly said. “We have to rinse this one off and come back ready (on Wednesday).”
The Diamondbacks will send left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (9-3, 2.64 ERA) to the mound Wednesday to oppose Pirates right-hander Jared Jones (2-1, 3.72).
Pittsburgh leads the season series 3-2.
Jones has allowed only three earned runs in 21 innings in going 1-0 over his past four starts (all in July), striking out 28 and walking only four batters. He’s worked six innings in two of his past three outings.
In his most recent start, Jones allowed one run on two hits, struck out five and walked one over six innings in a game the Pirates lost 3-2 to the Chicago Cubs in 10 innings on Friday.
Jones has never faced the Diamondbacks.
The Pirates have been cautious with Jones, 24, this season, holding his pitch count to under 80 in most of his recent starts, although he threw 83 pitches on Friday. Jones is pitching well enough to where Pittsburgh might consider letting him go deeper into games.
Rodriguez has been steady throughout his first All-Star season and could present an issue for Pittsburgh, which is 9-22 against left-handed starters this year.
He bounced back from a poor performance in his prior start and threw six innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out four to lead Arizona to a 3-2 win over the Washington Nationals on Friday.
Rodriguez already threw a gem the first time he faced the Pirates this season, allowing only two hits over seven shutout innings while striking out seven in a 9-0 win on May 5 in Arizona. He is 2-1 with a 3.09 ERA in four career starts against the Pirates.
A bigger concern for the Diamondbacks heading into Wednesday’s series finale is closer Paul Sewald’s recent struggles.
Sewald surrendered back-to-back home runs in the ninth inning on Tuesday to Brandon Lowe and Bryan Reynolds. That allowed Pittsburgh to finish erasing a 6-0 deficit and send the game into extra innings.
It was Sewald’s second blown save in his past three appearances and third overall.
“To get where we’re going, we need (Sewald) to go out there and get those big outs,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “We’ll count on him; he’s going to get the baseball and continue to get those types of outs for us.”
–Field Level Media
