Diamondbacks at Pirates
Robbie Ray is making himself at home on the road this year and hopes to continue that trend when the Arizona Diamondbacks visit the Pittsburgh Pirates for the second of a three-game series on Tuesday night. Ray is coming off a pair of dominating performances as he attempts to win three straight starts for the first time in his career.
Ray has been nearly unhittable away from home, posting a 3-1 record and microscopic 0.81 ERA in five starts - compared with a bloated 6.75 mark at Arizona's Chase Field. The Diamondbacks need a boost after being outscored 19-9 during a three-game skid and are in danger of losing four straight for the first time. Resurgent Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen belted a walk-off homer in Monday's 4-3 series opener, extending his hitting streak to five games following a 1-for-20 slump. Ivan Nova, who is 4-1 over his last seven starts for Pittsburgh, opposes Ray.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona, ROOT (Pittsburgh)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks LH Robbie Ray (4-3, 3.45 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Ivan Nova (5-3, 2.83)
Ray is coming off a masterful performance in Milwaukee, blanking the Brewers on two hits and striking out nine over seven innings. That followed another superb outing at San Diego in which the 25-year-old tossed 7 2/3 scoreless innings of two-hit ball. Ray was winless in his previous four turns, including a no-decision against Pittsburgh in which he gave up four runs in four innings.
Nova won his second straight start last time out, giving up four runs on 10 hits over 8 1/3 innings after blanking Atlanta for the first six frames. Although he has allowed more than three earned runs in two of his 10 starts, the 30-year-old has been reached for 45 hits over his last five turns - including nine to go along with three runs at Arizona on May 14. Paul Goldschmidt is 3-for-6 with two homers off Nova.
WALK-OFFS
1. Pirates OF Gregory Polanco exited Monday's game with a right ankle sprain and is scheduled to see a doctor Tuesday.
2. Diamondbacks C Chris Iannetta had a pinch-hit homer Monday, the fourth blast in his last six games.
3. McCutchen's sixth walk-off homer tied Willie Stargell and Ralph Kiner for the most in club history.