Arizona Diamondbacks at Pittsburgh Pirates

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ARI	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	0	0	3	6	0
PIT	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	0

Eduardo Rodriguez has been the best story in the desert this year, and he drew Jared Jones for the series finale at PNC Park with a wild-card tiebreaker essentially on the line. Jones came in white-hot himself, having allowed just 3 earned runs across his last 4 starts. Something had to give.

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FINAL

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ML

Total

Diamondbacks(56-52)

WLLLW

3

+1.5-163+127o8.5-108

Pirates(55-53)

LWWLL

0

-1.5+160-130u8.5+111

Best BetDiamondbacks +110

Postgame

Cashed — Rodriguez outdueled Jones and Arizona won outright, 3-0.

Pregame

We backed Arizona at +117 when this was posted, leaning on Eduardo Rodriguez's All-Star form against a Pirates lineup that's been shorthanded. Jared Jones was every bit as good as advertised, but the Diamondbacks' offense did just enough against him and Rodriguez didn't blink. That's a moneyline winner in a game that came down to which ace cracked first.

The first two games of this series went to extra innings apiece — Pittsburgh walking it off in the 10th on Monday, Arizona answering back in the 12th on Tuesday after blowing a 6-run lead. Both bullpens were running on fumes by Wednesday, which made a starter who could actually go deep worth more than usual.

Eduardo Rodriguez

(11-4)·2.70 ERA

Jul 24 @ Nationals

W

6.0IP

2ER

4K

3BB

98P

07/29 Lineup

Jared Jones

(2-4)·5.03 ERA

Jul 24 vs Cubs

ND

6.0IP

1ER

5K

1BB

83P

07/29 Lineup

That's exactly what Rodriguez gave the Diamondbacks. Pittsburgh's lineup, without Oneil Cruz and playing shorthanded after Spencer Horwitz's concussion scare on a rehab assignment, never found a rhythm against him, and Jones — sharp as he'd been all month — couldn't quite match zeros with him this time.

Arizona pushed 2 runs across in the 4th and added an insurance run in the 6th, and that was more than enough. The Pirates put together 5 hits on the day but stranded traffic the whole way, unable to solve Rodriguez in a spot where 1 mistake pitch would've flipped the game.

Arizona Diamondbacks

(56-52)

Jul 28W@ Pirates8-7

Jul 27L@ Pirates2-3

Jul 26L@ Nationals7-10

Jul 25L@ Nationals3-5

Jul 24W@ Nationals3-2

Pittsburgh Pirates

(55-53)

Jul 28Lvs Diamondbacks7-8

Jul 27Wvs Diamondbacks3-2

Jul 26Wvs Cubs8-7

Jul 25Lvs Cubs0-11

Jul 24Lvs Cubs2-3

It's the kind of game that swings a wild-card race without anyone outside the standings noticing. Arizona takes the series and the tiebreaker edge, while Pittsburgh heads home from this trip having split a set they controlled for most of it. Both injury sheets are long — Zac Gallen and Corbin Burnes still building back for Arizona, Cruz and Horwitz compromising Pittsburgh's lineup — and neither club can afford many more series like this one where the bullpen gets stretched to its limit.

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-ILMichael Soroka (SP) — Soroka (glute) threw a bullpen session Monday, MLB.com reports.07/28
• 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-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

(6)

• 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) was diagnosed with a concussion Tuesday after being hit in the helmet with a pitch while on a rehab assignment at Single-A Bradenton, Aiden Stepansky of MLB.com reports.07/28
• 15-Day-ILEvan Sisk (RP) — Sisk (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.07/29
• 60-Day-ILOneil Cruz (CF) — Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Cruz (hand) has been cleared for all baseball activities, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.07/29
• 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-ILKonnor Griffin (SS) — The Pirates transferred Griffin (finger) to the 60-day injured list Saturday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.07/11