Arizona Diamondbacks at Pittsburgh Pirates

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ARI	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	2	8	1
PIT	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	1	3	9	1

First pitch went off at 6:40 PM ET with 2 of the more underrated arms in the league on the bump. Merrill Kelly came in riding a strong July, and Mitch Keller was fresh off 5 scoreless innings against the Yankees with 6 strikeouts. Both pitched like it — this had duel written all over it from the jump. With the trade deadline bearing down on both front offices, arms like these are exactly why: Kelly and Keller are 2 of the few sure things on either roster right now.

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FINAL

Spread

ML

Total

Diamondbacks(55-52)

LLLWW

2

+1.5-186+106o8.5-160

Pirates(55-52)

WWLLL

3

-1.5+182-108u8.5+163

Best BetDiamondbacks +113

Postgame

Missed — Arizona's offense went cold late and Pittsburgh walked it off in the 9th, so the skid caught up with them.

Pregame

We took the Diamondbacks near even money, and Merrill Kelly's strong July made that price feel like value against a Pittsburgh club that had just gotten run out of its own park by the Cubs. Arizona's rotation problems don't touch Kelly, who's been the exception all month. The price has since ticked down toward pick'em, but the read was Kelly giving this offense a puncher's chance on the road.

Arizona's rotation is running thin beyond Kelly — Zac Gallen, Corbin Burnes and Ryne Nelson are all still on the injured list, so every start he gives them carries extra weight. Pittsburgh, fresh off getting outscored 11-0 by the Cubs just 2 days earlier, needed length from Keller just to stop the bleeding. The board reflected the standoff, too — the total dropped pregame as the 2 starters loomed larger than the offenses around them.

Merrill Kelly

(8-9)·4.88 ERA

Jul 22 vs Athletics

W

5.0IP

2ER

3K

1BB

87P

07/27 Lineup

Mitch Keller

(6-8)·5.29 ERA

Jul 22 @ Yankees

ND

5.0IP

0ER

6K

2BB

75P

07/27 Lineup

It played out exactly like that shape suggested. Neither team touched home plate until the 6th, when Arizona finally broke through against Pittsburgh's bullpen. It didn't last.

Pittsburgh answered right back in the 6th and again in the 8th to even things up, setting up a 9th inning PNC Park won't forget anytime soon. The Pirates snuck across the winning run to send Arizona home with a 3rd straight loss on the trip, a rough finish to a stretch that opened with wins over the Cardinals and Nationals just a week ago.

Arizona Diamondbacks

(55-52)

Jul 27L@ Pirates2-3

Jul 26L@ Nationals7-10

Jul 25L@ Nationals3-5

Jul 24W@ Nationals3-2

Jul 23W@ Cardinals10-6

Pittsburgh Pirates

(55-52)

Jul 27Wvs Diamondbacks3-2

Jul 26Wvs Cubs8-7

Jul 25Lvs Cubs0-11

Jul 24Lvs Cubs2-3

Jul 22L@ Yankees0-2

Arizona Diamondbacks

(13)

• 10-Day-ILJordan Lawlar (LF) — Lawlar (hamstring) has resumed all baseball activity and is nearly running at full speed, MLB.com reports.07/25
• 10-Day-ILLourdes Gurriel Jr. (LF) — Gurriel isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against St. Louis.07/18
• 10-Day-ILTommy Troy (LF) — Manager Torey Lovullo said Friday that Troy (shoulder) is expected to remain out for roughly 3-to-4 weeks, Jack Sommers of SI.com reports.07/17
• 15-Day-ILZac Gallen (SP) — Gallen (elbow) was given permission to begin throwing and has thrown twice this week, MLB.com reports.07/25
• 15-Day-ILMichael Soroka (SP) — Soroka (glute) will throw a simulated game Saturday, MLB.com reports.07/25
• 15-Day-ILDrey Jameson (RP) — The Diamondbacks recalled Jameson from Triple-A Reno on Saturday.07/22
• 60-Day-ILJustin Martinez (RP) — Martinez (elbow) completed a second live batting practice Wednesday, MLB.com reports.07/25
• 60-Day-ILA.J. Puk (RP) — Manager Torey Lovullo said Saturday that MRI results on Puk's left shoulder revealed that his shoulder capsule hasn't fully healed, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.07/18
• 60-Day-ILRyne Nelson (SP) — Nelson (elbow) will begin a throwing program Saturday or Sunday, Alex D'Agostino of SI.com reports.07/18
• 60-Day-ILAndrew Saalfrank (RP) — Saalfrank (shoulder) has begun a throwing program, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.07/18
• 60-Day-ILCorbin Burnes (SP) — Burnes (elbow) began a throwing program July 10 and felt good following the session, MLB.com reports.07/13
• 60-Day-ILCristian Mena (RP) — Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told reporters Monday that Mena underwent surgery on his right shoulder and will be sidelined for the rest of the season, Jack Sommers of SI.com reports.06/01
• 60-Day-ILBlake Walston (SP) — Walston (elbow) paused his rehab program earlier in the season, but he was expected to start building back up around the middle of May, MLB.com reports.06/01

Pittsburgh Pirates

(7)

• Day-To-DayEsmerlyn Valdez (RF) — Valdez was removed during the fourth inning of Monday's game against the Diamondbacks after he was hit by a pitch on his left hand, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.07/27
• 7-Day ILRafael Flores Jr. (C) — The Pirates placed Flores on the 7-day concussion injured list Friday.07/24
• 10-Day-ILSpencer Horwitz (1B) — Horwitz (hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment with Single-A Bradenton on Tuesday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.07/21
• 15-Day-ILEvan Sisk (RP) — Sisk was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday with left elbow inflammation, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.07/04
• 60-Day-ILChris Devenski (RP) — Devenski (illness) was sent to the rookie-level Florida Complex League on Tuesday to begin a rehab assignment.07/21
• 60-Day-ILOneil Cruz (CF) — The Pirates transferred Cruz (hand) to the 60-day injured list Saturday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.07/18
• 60-Day-ILKonnor Griffin (SS) — The Pirates transferred Griffin (finger) to the 60-day injured list Saturday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.07/11

Arizona GM Mike Hazen has talked about wanting to buy at next week's deadline, but nights like this are the reminder that a rotation missing 3 starters can't be papered over by 1 good month from Merrill Kelly. Pittsburgh, for its part, held onto Keller through weeks of trade rumors — and got exactly the kind of outing Monday that explains why.