Diamondbacks-Pirates Preview
By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer
The Arizona Diamondbacks have been one of the NL's best hitting teams in the past week. The Pittsburgh Pirates are one of the others. With their thoughts on an ailing teammate, the Pirates will seek to continue their recent success against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday night while Francisco Liriano tries to provide another proficient start at PNC Park. Arizona is batting .297 with 39 runs and an .829 OPS while winning four of six. The Diamondbacks (21-25) registered 13 hits in a 7-2 victory over St. Louis on Sunday to take two of three at Busch Stadium and improve to 7-2 in their last nine road games. "The young guys are starting to get it that every game you've got to bring it like the seventh game of the World Series, basically," manager Chip Hale told MLB's official website. Pittsburgh (24-19) is batting .314 with 38 runs and a .796 OPS in the first seven of a 10-game homestand. The Pirates earned their sixth victory in eight contests Monday, 6-3 over Colorado, one day after the series finale was rained out. Starting pitcher Ryan Vogelsong was carted off the field in the second inning after being hit in the head by Rockies starter Jordan Lyles. The Pirates say Vogelsong was sent to the hospital for an injured left eye. "In the dugout, it was kind of one of those things where we all felt for (Vogelsong). We were just like, let's finish this game strong and keep him in our prayers," second baseman Josh Harrison said. The Pirates will now try to earn their 10th win in 13 games against the Diamondbacks. Pittsburgh won two of three in Arizona from April 22-24 and Liriano (3-3, 4.63 ERA) started the finale, a 12-10 victory in 13 innings. The veteran left-hander gave up four runs in six innings - on a pair of homers - but will get to face the Diamondbacks at home this time. Liriano is 2-1 with a 1.37 ERA in three starts in Pittsburgh, and the Pirates had won in his past 13 starts there until a 3-1 defeat to Atlanta on Wednesday. He yielded two runs in seven innings in that hard-luck loss. Liriano was charged with five runs in seven innings in his only home start against Arizona on Aug. 18, a 9-8 victory in 15. He's 1-0 with a 3.73 ERA in five overall matchups. In this one, he'll pitch opposite Shelby Miller (1-5, 6.64), who is attempting to avoid his third loss in as many starts. The right-hander gave up three runs and a season-high 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings Wednesday in a 4-2 defeat to the New York Yankees. Although his teammates have hit well lately, they have given Miller one run of support in each of his last two outings and eight in his past seven. Miller is 2-6 with a 4.29 ERA in nine starts against Pittsburgh, the most recent in September 2014. Jordy Mercer, batting .476 in his last seven games, is a career .328 hitter against Arizona but has gone 1 for 11 versus Miller. Starling Marte, batting .323, is 5 for 15 with two triples and a double against him. Welington Castillo is 6 for 17 with two homers against Liriano but is hitting .179 with no home runs in his last eight games. Jean Segura is batting .351 in a 12-game hit streak versus Pittsburgh but has two singles in his last 16 at-bats against Liriano. |