The Arizona Diamondbacks return home Monday hoping a change of venue can alter their recent fortunes.
The Diamondbacks have lost a season-worst five games in a row as they prepare to face the Pittsburgh Pirates in the opener of a three-game series on Monday in Phoenix.
“We’re all extremely frustrated,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “We’re going to get this thing turned around, but it is tough to stomach right now.”
Diamondbacks right-hander Ryne Nelson (1-1, 4.60 ERA) will oppose Pirates’ left-hander Andrew Heaney (3-3, 2.91) in the series opener.
The D-backs have lost their past five games by a total of six runs, including three one-run setbacks while being swept in St. Louis over the weekend. They were 6-for-26 with runners in scoring position in that series.
“It’s a gut-check, for sure,” Lovullo said.
Arizona resides six games behind the National League West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers, who started Arizona on the skid by winning the final two games of their series last week.
The Diamondbacks are 11-14 in the past 25 games, with 22 coming against teams that are over .500. The stretch included seven games against the Dodgers and nine combined versus the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets.
The Pirates have won four of their past six games, their best stretch of the season, and came within an eighth-inning collapse in a 6-5 home loss to Milwaukee on Sunday of their first three-game winning streak of the season. They are 7-9 under interim manager Don Kelly.
“There’s some really good momentum happening,” Kelly said. “They’re coming together. They’re playing hard. We have to keep building off what we were doing in this homestand.”
Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz was 6-for-16 in the four-game Brewers’ series, with three homers in the final three games.
Second baseman Adam Frazier had three hits and three RBIs on Sunday. He is 7-for-11 in his past three games.
“We keep moving forward,” Frazier said. “We’re growing as a team.”
Nelson will make his third start of the season, his second filling in for Eduardo Rodriguez after the latter was placed on the injured list with shoulder inflammation on May 18.
Nelson gave up one run and three hits in five innings at the Dodgers in his most recent appearance Tuesday. He didn’t figure into the decision of the 4-3, 10-inning loss. He has faced the Pirates on one occasion, giving up four runs in five innings of a no-decision at Pittsburgh on Aug. 4 last season.
Heaney broke a four-start winless streak that included two losses with a 3-1 victory against the Cincinnati Reds in his most recent outing Wednesday, when he gave up one run and three hits in five innings. He gave up four runs in his past three starts covering 16 innings, and four of his 10 outings have resulted in quality starts.
Heaney is 1-0 in two career appearances (one start) against the Diamondbacks, with the win coming May 28, 2024. He threw 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief while with the Texas Rangers.
Josh Naylor is 4-for-8 with two doubles against him. Eugenio Suarez is 0-for-9.
–Field Level Media
