Pirates at Diamondbacks
After making certain they would not go winless on their seven-game road trip, the Pittsburgh Pirates attempt to close it out with back-to-back triumphs when they visit the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday hoping to earn a split of their four-game series. Pittsburgh had dropped the first five games of its trek and six straight overall before edging Arizona 4-3 on Saturday.
The Pirates are showing signs they're ready to break out offensively, scoring four runs in each of their last two games after doing so just once in their previous nine contests. Arizona attempted to rally late from a 4-1 deficit and extend its winning streak to four games but fell just short. The Diamondbacks scored all their runs Saturday on solo homers, with Nick Ahmed belting a pair and Paul Goldschmidt also going deep. Ahmed's two-homer performance was the first of his career and gave him three blasts in as many games after he produced just one in his first 23 contests of the season.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh), FSN Arizona
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Ivan Nova (3-3, 2.23 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks LH Robbie Ray (2-3, 4.14)
Nova is coming off a no-decision at Los Angeles on Tuesday in which he limited the Dodgers to two runs over 6 1/3 innings. The 30-year-old Dominican, who shares the major-league lead with two complete games, has yielded more than two runs just twice in seven outings this season. Nova won his only career start against Arizona, allowing two runs in five innings on April 16, 2013, while with the New York Yankees.
Ray has lost three consecutive starts, including an outing against Detroit on Tuesday in which he was tagged for five runs on five hits and as many walks over five innings. The 25-year-old native of Tennessee has recorded at least eight strikeouts in five of his seven turns this season - and each of his last three. Ray has yet to defeat Pittsburgh in his career, going 0-2 with a 7.71 ERA in three starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Pirates 2B/OF Adam Frazier went 1-for-5 in his first start since returning from a stint on the 10-day disabled list due to a strained left hamstring.
2. Diamondbacks C Chris Iannetta hopes to avoid a trip to the DL after suffering a fractured nose and fractured teeth when he was hit in the face by a pitch on Friday.
3. Arizona, which scored 20 runs during its winning streak, has been held to three or fewer in each of its last six setbacks.