7-26-24 – By Ethan Smith – @mvp_EtHaN on X
Following their fourth consecutive series victory on Wednesday over the NL Central rival St. Louis Cardinals, the Pittsburgh Pirates head west for a crucial three-game series in the desert, heading to Arizona to face the Diamondbacks.
As Pirates fans, get used to hearing about Arizona, as Pittsburgh will face them six times over the course of the next week, beginning tonight. On top of that, the Pirates enter this series trailing the Diamondbacks by half a game in the NL Wild Card race, so there’s no doubt that these three games, and, well, the next week could have massive implications for the wild card race for both teams.
Pittsburgh enters this series as winners of 10 of their past 12 games, winning series against the Brewers, White Sox, Phillies and Cardinals over that span. The Pirates also own the best record in the NL in the past ten games, posting an 8-2 record.
The Diamondbacks have seen similar success, winning their past three series against the Blue Jays, Cubs and Royals. The Snakes are also tied with the Mets for the second best record in the NL over the past 10 games, posting a 7-3 record.
Pittsburgh will get to face some real talent in this series, from pitching to some elite offensive weapons, so lets take a look at what to expect over the weekend.
7-26
Pirates – Luis Ortiz (R) – 5-2, 73.2 IP, 2.57 ERA, 59 Ks/21 walks, 1.11 WHIP
D’backs – Zac Gallen (R) – 7-5, 81.2 IP, 3.64 ERA, 80 Ks/27 walks, 1.25 WHIP
7-27
Pirates – Marco Gonzales (L) – 1-1, 26.2 IP, 2.70 ERA, 19 Ks/6 walks, 1.28 WHIP
D’backs – Brandon Pfaadt (R) – 4-6, 120.1 IP, 3.74 ERA, 111 Ks/27 walks, 1.11 WHIP
7-28
Pirates – Mitch Keller (R) – 10-5, 121.1 IP, 3.34 ERA, 108 Ks/32 walks, 1.24 WHIP
D’backs – Yilber Diaz (R) – 1-1, 15.0 IP, 5.40 ERA, 7 Ks/4 walks, 1.40 WHIP
Pirates: Oneil Cruz
This would have been Bryan Reynolds spot, but he will likely be unavailable for this series after being placed on the Bereavement list on Thursday.
Despite that, Oneil Cruz has still been impressive and has been a major component to the month of July the Pirates have been able to have, slashing .300/.348/.550/.898 with three homers and 15 RBIs since the calendar turned to July.
Its a series versus Arizona where Cruz won’t see a left-handed starter, setting him up for a potentially monster series at Chase Field as he continues to post good numbers.
Diamondbacks: Ketel Marte
Ketel Marte, deservingly, was an All-Star in 2024, and he hasn’t slowed down in July either, posting a 1.003 OPS with five homers and 15 RBIs for the Snakes in July.
On top of all that, Marte ranks in the top 18 in all of baseball in average(.296), home runs(22), RBIs(64) and OPS(.896), posting easily the best OPS on the D’Backs roster while trailing just first baseman Christian Walker in homers.
Marte has phenomenal splits from both sides of the plate, including a 1.093 OPS versus left-handed pitching, so keep a special eye on Saturday when he faces Marco Gonzales.
Pirates: Connor Joe
Connor Joe had a phenomenal start to the 2024 campaign, but he’s slowed down considerably, collecting his first RBI since June 11 on Wednesday.
Joe’s OPS in July sits at a .590 clip, and with the turnaround that Rowdy Tellez has had, he’s seen less opportunities, but Joe can still be a viable offensive option in the middle or back-end of the Pirates order.
With Reynolds out as well, expect Joe to occupy left or right field and get ample opportunities to turn the tide in his favor against Arizona.
Diamondbacks: Corbin Carroll
Corbin Carroll took the baseball world by storm in 2023 by helping lead Arizona to a World Series appearance, but 2024 hasn’t been as kind to Carroll, who is currently batting .210 with a .632 OPS and just six homers on the season.
July hasn’t been great for the young star either, as he sits with a .691 OPS and measly .194 batting average, including just seven extra-base hits.
Carroll has just three hits in his past 19 at-bats, so he’ll aim to turn things around versus Pittsburgh, and trust me, Arizona sure hopes he can.
Key Injuries
The Pirates are anticipating returns from left-handed reliever Ryan Borucki and left-handed starter Bailey Falter soon, while Jared Jones is still recovering from an injury that will likely sideline him until mid-August. Bryan Reynolds is on Bereavement, so he should only be out temporarily.
Arizona, who had a strong starting pitching staff on paper going into 2024, has seen those strong options diminish throughout the season, as Merrill Kelly, Blake Walston and Eduardo Rodriguez have been and are sidelined with injuries with estimated return dates in mid-August.
Things to Look For
The Pittsburgh pitching staff versus the Arizona offense is the matchup to watch for this weekend.
Arizona features four players with an OPS north of .800 and four more players with an OPS north of .700, highlighted with the D’Backs ranking third in MLB in RBIs. The D’Backs also rank 16th in homers, 7th in doubles and 5th in OBP, so Ortiz, Gonzales and Keller have their work cut out for them.
The story I think comes when the bullpen is called upon, and the Pirates bullpen has been much better as of late, so expect Pittsburgh to show a willingness to get up early in games to let their starters work long enough not to tax the bullpen against a strong offense.
Pirates, D’Backs, competitive baseball, strap your seatbelt and get ready for a wild ride folks.
Steel City Pirates 