The Pittsburgh Pirates (40-49) are on the road to face the Arizona Diamondbacks (52-38) at Chase Field on Sunday with the home team eyeing a sweep of the three-game series.
The Diamondbacks lead the series 2-0 after winning 3-2 in 10 innings on Saturday, their fourth straight head-to-head victory and fourth in five games this season.
Reliever Scott McGough threw two innings to get the win. Alek Thomas went 2 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs in the win. Jack Suwinski was 1 for 4 with a double and one RBI for the Pirates, stretching his on-base streak to 12 games.
ON THE MOUND
RHP Zach Davies (1-4, 6.52 ERA) will toe the rubber for Arizona. It’s his first appearance of the season against the Pirates. Davies made one start against the Pirates in 2022, throwing 7.2 innings in a 2-1 road defeat on June 4.
He gave up three hits and walked two while striking out six in the no-decision. In his last start on Tuesday, Davies took a no-decision at home against the Mets. He threw 5.2 innings and gave up four runs on five hits, striking out six and walking two in the 8-5 loss.
AT THE PLATE
Over the last five games, Pittsburgh has averaged 4.0 runs a game, a small drop compared to their season average of 4.2. Against right-handed pitchers like Davies this season, the Bucs have a .694 OPS. Suwinski is the team’s strongest hitter against right-handers with a .959 OPS in 176 at-bats.
Arizona is averaging only 3.2 runs per game in the last five, down from 5.0 for the season, with their slash line slipping across the board (.208/.296/.346).
HOME AND AWAY
Pittsburgh is on a four-game losing streak away from PNC Park, bringing their record to 18-28 in 2023. The Bucs have scored 4.2 runs per game away from home while allowing 4.4 runs.
Arizona has gone 26-23 in front of their home fans this season, averaging 4.6 runs per game while surrendering 4.6. In the last 10 meetings at Chase Field, Arizona is 9-1 with an average scoreline of 6.4-3.1.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Pirates are fourth in the NL Central, eight games behind the division-leading Reds. The Diamondbacks lead the NL West by zero games over the Dodgers.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Arizona Diamondbacks (-160)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
