The Arizona Diamondbacks host the San Francisco Giants for a three-game series at Chase Field starting Monday night, June 29.
The D-backs were swept in Tampa Bay and fell to 41-42 on the season. They’re 3.0 games out of the third NL Wild Card spot with five teams in front of them. They’ll be hoping to get right against the Giants, whom they’re 6-0 against this season.
The Giants are 35-48, but are coming off a 2-1 series victory against the Atlanta Braves over the weekend, and have won four of their last six games.
The D-backs are 24-17 at home, while their NL West rival Giants are 17-26 on the road. Both teams’ offenses have been sputtering, with each scoring just 21 runs in their last seven games, or 3.0 per game.
Monday, June 29, 6:40 p.m. MST
RHP Tyler Mahle, 1-7, 5.49 ERA vs LHP Eduardo Rodriguez, 6-2, 2.27 ERA
Time and time again the D-backs have needed Rodriguez to come through and stop a skid, and this outing is no exception. The D-backs are 12-4 in his 16 starts. Rodriguez ranks fourth in the National League in ERA, and has managed to work around base traffic and get out of jams all season.
These same two pitchers faced off on May 20 in San Francisco. Rodriguez went six innings allowing two runs in a win. Mahle took the loss, giving up three runs in five. The D-backs held on to win that game 7-5.
Tuesday, June 30, 6:40 p.m. MST
RHP Landen Roupp, 5-7, 4.07 ERA vs RHP Brandon Pfaadt, 0-1, 5.92 ERA
The D-backs beat Roupp and the Giants 6-2 on May 25. Roupp gave up four runs, two earned. Roupp had a blowup start against the Brewers in his next outing, giving up eight runs. But he’s been much better since. He’s gone six innings and given up two runs in each of his last two starts.
Brandon Pfaadt has not yet been officially named the starter for this game. He is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Reno to rejoin the rotation, however. Pfaadt had lost his rotation spot and was demoted to the bullpen, where he had mixed effectiveness .
He was optioned to Reno to get stretched out to start again, but had only gotten up to 3.2 innings as of June 20. A rainout in St. Louis cost him a chance to get back in the rotation, and following a bullpen session late last week, he is not in line to start Tuesday night. He will likely be on a pitch count of no more than 65.
Wednesday, July 1, 6:40 p.m.
RHP Trevor McDonald 2-6, 4.94 ERA vs RHP Zac Gallen, 3-7, 6.15 ERA
McDonald held the D-backs scoreless for five innings on May 27 before Arizona finally got to him for two runs in the sixth inning and one in the seventh. The D-backs won that game 3-2. That was one of his better starts this year. He is 0-4 with a 5.73 ERA in June.
Zac Gallen will be looking to find some swing-and-miss and softer contact against the weak-hitting Giants. The embattled pitcher has the highest ERA among qualified pitchers in MLB and is in a mystifying decline that has defied explanation or rectification.
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