MLB LOOK AHEAD

Ray, Diamondbacks try to cool off Pirates

Field Level Media

May 13, 2019 at 5:28 am.

Left-hander Robbie Ray will try to help Arizona stop its three-game losing streak on Monday when the Pittsburgh Pirates begin their only visit to Phoenix.

Ray (2-1, 3.30 ERA) will be opposed by Pittsburgh right-hander Nick Kingham (1-0, 5.94) in the opener of a three-game set. The Diamondbacks swept a four-game series in Pittsburgh in April.

The Pirates are on a hot streak. They have won six of their last eight games and eight of their last 11, which comes on the heels of an eight-game losing streak — including a four-game sweep by the Diamondbacks.

Pittsburgh beat St. Louis 10-6 on Sunday, its third consecutive victory.

Arizona lost the final three games of a four-game series against Atlanta. The Diamondbacks, who lost 5-3 on Sunday, have dropped six of their last eight.

Ray will make his ninth start of the season. Opponents are batting only .210 against Ray, who has 55 strikeouts in 43 2/3 innings.

Ray pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings in his last start at Tampa Bay, when he struck out a season-high 11. It was his second double-digit strikeout effort of the season.

“That’s probably the best my fastball command and off-speed command has been all year,” Ray said. “I was able to elevate when I wanted to, and curveball-slide played really well off those pitches.”

In five career starts against Pittsburgh, Ray is 1-2 with a 5.33 ERA. He has struck out 27 in 27 innings against the Bucs. Ray did not face the Pirates on the earlier visit to Pittsburgh.

Kingham will be making his 10th appearance and second start of the season. He allowed two runs on three hits in four innings in his first start, receiving a no-decision against Texas last week. Kingham had been accustomed to working more than one inning out of the bullpen; he threw multiple frames in five of his eight relief appearances.

Kingham has primarily been a starting pitcher. In 2018, 15 of his 18 appearances came as a starter.

He has faced Arizona only one time, that being a relief appearance on April 24 when he allowed three runs on three hits in two innings.

“I feel like I know my body enough and I know the game of baseball that I can hopefully manipulate a lineup enough to where I can put myself in a position to go three, four, five innings if I need to,” Kingham said. “I’m not concerned about the length of my outing.”

The Diamondbacks failed to score twice with the bases loaded and with runners on the corners on Sunday against the Braves.

The Diamondbacks optioned rookie right-hander Jon Duplantier to Triple-A Reno after Sunday’s game. He worked three innings and allowed three runs on Sunday. No corresponding move was announced after the game.

“I told Jon, to go down there, throw a handful of pitches,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “Continue to throw beyond 50 pitches, continue to develop.”

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