Arizona Diamondbacks vs Pittsburgh Pirates Picks and Predictions July 26th 2024

Wild-Card Hopefuls Begin Series as Pirates Visit D-Backs

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a shot at finishing their eight-year postseason dry spell with only 60 games left in the customary season. Their process go on as they take on the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night, starting off a three-game series in Phoenix.

Pirates’ Hot Streak

Pittsburgh has been ablaze, winning 10 of their last 13 games, and they’re solidly in the blend for the National League wild-card race. The Pirates and Diamondbacks are among three groups inside 1.5 rounds of the third wild-card spot, making this series vital.

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The Pirates are going into a six-game excursion against the Diamondbacks and Houston Astros with cheerful moods, having won four of six home games against the major-league-driving Philadelphia Phillies and the St. Louis Cardinals.

“Vital,” Pirates director Derek Shelton said of their new achievement. “We get the best group in baseball, and afterward we stretch out the group that is beyond us in the division. … We need to keep on playing great, yet extremely pleased with how we answered emerging from the (All-Star) break.”

Missing Key Player

The Pirates were expecting to have All-Star outfielder Bryan Reynolds back for the opener after he missed Wednesday’s 5-0 win over the Cardinals because of back fits. In any case, Reynolds was put on the loss list on Thursday.

Reynolds has been impressive in July, with five homers and 15 RBIs while batting .352 in 71 at-bats. Overall, he’s hitting .288 with 18 homers and 61 RBIs.

Ironically, Reynolds’ absence led to Rowdy Tellez’s late inclusion in the lineup. Tellez made the most of it, hitting a 447-foot homer into the river beyond the right field seats. It was his second homer against a left-hander this season.

“It’s not like it’s foreign to face lefties in my career,” said Tellez. “So it was just going in and understanding who was pitching and doing the homework I needed to do and being ready for it.”

Diamondbacks on a Roll

Arizona just wrapped up a successful six-game road trip, taking two of three from both the Chicago Cubs and Kansas City Royals. The Diamondbacks have won eight of their last 11 games, including an 8-6 victory over the Royals on Wednesday.

Arizona trailed 4-3 entering the ninth but rallied with five runs. Gabriel Moreno’s two-run double gave them the lead, and All-Star Ketel Marte added a three-run homer.

“Moreno was the right guy in the right spot (Wednesday), and behind him was Ketel with another huge knock,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “We talk about those things. What are we going to look like in the most critical moments? It was a character win, and the guys dug as deep as they could.”

Marte was phenomenal in the series against Kansas City, hitting a homer in all three games and going 6-for-12 with seven RBIs.

“He’s a beast. I don’t know what else to say,” Lovullo said of Marte. “He doesn’t surprise me. I’ve seen him do it over and over again. He wants to be in the middle of everything. That’s his personality, and it was a big knock for him.”

Pitching Matchup

Pittsburgh’s right-hander Luis Ortiz (5-2, 2.57 Period) will be on the hill to attempt to dial back Marte and the Diamondbacks. Ortiz is falling off a strong execution, blanking the Phillies on three hits more than seven innings in a 4-1 triumph on Saturday. In his last three starts, Ortiz has allowed only one run and 11 hits north of 18 2/3 innings, with a 1-0 record during that stretch. He has never confronted Arizona.

The Diamondbacks had not named a starter by Thursday night, but rather it would be Zac Gallen’s chance in the revolution. Gallen (7-5, 3.64 Period) keep going pitched on Saturday, procuring a success by closing out the host Chicago Offspring for five innings in a 3-0 triumph. In his profession against the Pirates, Gallen is 2-2 with a 3.04 Period, surrendering 20 hits and nine strolls while striking out 19 out of 23 2/3 innings.

New Expansion to the Warm up area

In the event that the Diamondbacks go to their warm up area on Friday, they could have another expansion accessible. Arizona procured left-hander A.J. Puk from the Miami Marlins on Thursday in return for two possibilities, infielder Deyvison De Los Santos and focus defender Andrew Pintar.

Puk, who will join Joe Mantiply as a subsequent left-given reliever, started the year inadequately as a starter yet has succeeded since moving back to the warm up area. He is 4-4 with one save, seven holds, and a 2.08 Period across 28 alleviation appearances in 2024.