Diamondbacks at Pirates
Chris Johnson is making quite the favorable impression on his new team. Johnson homered twice and drove in five RBIs as the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks recorded a 10-4 triumph over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday. The clubs will reconvene at PNC Park on Wednesday for the third contest of this four-game series.
Johnson is 10-for-29 with five homers and 15 RBIs in eight games since being acquired from Houston on July 29. Johnson is 3-for-5 in his career versus Wednesday starter Kevin Correia. The Diamondbacks snapped a three-game losing skid but remained four games behind National League West-leading San Francisco. Pittsburgh, which fell for just the fifth time in 26 home contests, fell 3 1/2 games behind NL Central-leading Cincinnati.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSAZ (Arizona), ROOT (Pittsburgh)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Ian Kennedy (10-8, 4.15 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Kevin Correia (8-6, 4.49)
Kennedy won his fourth straight start after tossing six strong innings in a 4-2 win over Philadelphia on Friday. The 27-year-old struggled against Pittsburgh this season, yielding four earned runs on eight hits - but he did strike out five. Kennedy is 1-0 in three career starts versus the Pirates.
Correia carries a six-game winning streak into Wednesday's game, but is receiving a start after losing his spot in the rotation following the inclusion of Wandy Rodriguez. The 31-year-old has struggled versus Arizona, posting a 4-8 career mark with a 4.93 ERA. Correia permitted four runs on five hits in two innings in his last trip to the mound against Houston on July 29.
WALK-OFFS
1. Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt, who went 3-for-5 on Tuesday, improved to 5-for-8 thus far in the series. He has yet to face Correia in his career.
2. Pittsburgh's Andrew McCutchen continues to enjoy a sensational season. He went 2-for-3 on Tuesday to raise his major league-leading average to .372. McCutchen is 2-for-5 in his career versus Kennedy.
3. An MRI showed a torn ligament in the left thumb of Arizona C Henry Blanco. He will undergo surgery on Wednesday.