Diamondbacks at Pirates
The Arizona Diamondbacks will try to maintain their mastery of the host Pittsburgh Pirates when they aim for a four-game sweep in Sunday's series finale. A 7-2 victory in Saturday's matchup gave the Diamondbacks a 5-1 mark against the Pirates this year, and they've averaged eight runs in those five victories.
Paul Goldschmidt homered and scored three times Saturday and he is hitting .429 with nine home runs and 21 RBIs in his last 17 games. The five-time All-Star has two hits in seven career at-bats against Trevor Williams, who starts the series finale for Pittsburgh. The Pirates managed seven hits - all singles - in Saturday's loss, falling to 10-23 in their last 33 games. Clay Buchholz gets the nod for Arizona as it tries to win its sixth consecutive game in PNC Park.
TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, FS Arizona, AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh
PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Clay Buchholz (1-1, 2.94 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Trevor Williams (6-4, 4.00)
Buchholz was on a nice roll until the Pirates got to him for six runs (five earned) in four innings at Arizona on June 12. The 33-year-old bounced back by allowing a run across 5 2/3 innings of a no-decision against the New York Mets on Sunday. Buchholz has a 10.13 ERA in two career starts versus Pittsburgh.
Williams also got knocked around in the matchup with Buchholz two turns ago while lasting just three innings in a 13-8 loss. That was the fifth consecutive outing in which he gave up at least four runs, but the 26-year-old rebounded six days later with seven scoreless innings and seven strikeouts in a gem against Milwaukee. Williams held the Diamondbacks to a run in six frames in his one meeting with them at home in 2017.
WALK-OFFS
1. Diamondbacks OF Jon Jay has at least two hits in eight of his last 11 games.
2. Arizona is hitting .307 with runners in scoring position since June 4.
3. Pirates CF Starling Marte is batting .321 in 31 career games against Arizona.