The Pittsburgh Pirates (24-20) will be going for the series win when they face the Arizona Diamondbacks (25-20) in the final game of their three-game series on Sunday afternoon.
Merrill Kelly, 4-3, 2.92 ERA, will get the start for the Diamondbacks. The Pirates will counter with Roansy Contreras, 3-4, 4.40 ERA.
Arizona and Pittsburgh split their last 10 meetings.
**This preview was written before Saturday’s game was played**
The Diamondbacks played well over the past week and they’ve won five of their last seven games. They will try to keep the momentum going with a win over the Pirates, which will give them their sixth win in their last eight games.
Arizona is averaging 5.11 runs per game. Their .267 batting average is fifth in the league. Their .331 on base percentage is seventh, as is their .436 slugging percentage.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. leads Arizona with a .309 batting average, while Christian Walker leads the team with 11 home runs and 31 RBI.
Arizona’s pitching hasn’t been good, with the team giving up 4.98 runs per game. Opponents have a .250 batting average against the Diamondbacks, which is 18th in the league. Their 4.65 ERA is 22nd, while their 1.35 WHIP is 20th.
In his last start, Kelly ga ve up four hits and two runs in seven innings, leading to a 5-2 win over Oakland. They will need a similar effort from him if they want to get the win.