Game 47: Pirates @ Diamondbacks, 6:40 EST

[Witlon]

Credit: Yahoo! Sports

The Arizona Diamondbacks seek a three-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates and increase their lead in the competitive NL West when the teams meet in the series finale at Chase Field on Wednesday.

Arizona (26-19) has won seven of its last nine games to move seven games over .500 for the first time since June 1. A year ago, the Diamondbacks were 27-18 through 45 games, but went just 50-67 the rest of the way to finish second in the division, five games back of San Diego.

"We were kind of hit and miss last year, and a lot of times those things go in cycles, but we feel like this year we can reduce the (cold) streaks and the tougher times," Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin said.

Arizona has a half-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers, and just 2 1/2 games separate all five teams in the division.

Perhaps most impressive during the Diamondbacks' run has been their offense, which has scored 63 runs and hit .308 in its last nine games to up its average to an NL-best .278.

Conor Jackson continued his solid rookie season by going 2-for-3 with a three-run homer and Johnny Estrada hit a two-run shot in a 7-3 win over the Pirates on Tuesday as the Diamondbacks improved to 6-2 on their nine-game homestand.

"For a team that doesn't hit too many homers, we had two big homers tonight," Melvin said, "two very big homers."

Right-hander Miguel Batista (3-2, 4.78 ERA) gets the start and looks to beat a Pirates team that owns the second-worst record in the NL behind Florida.

A year after collecting a career-high 31 saves for Toronto, Batista has had mixed results as a starter in his second stint with the Diamondbacks. From 2001-03, he went 29-26 with a 3.76 ERA with Arizona in 120 games including 76 starts.

Batista, who began his career with Pittsburgh in 1992, is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in his last three outings and has walked nine in 18 2-3 innings, including a season-high five in a 7-6 win over St. Louis on May 14.

He is 2-5 with a 5.00 ERA lifetime versus the Pirates, including allowing three runs in seven innings of a 3-0 loss on May 9.

Jason Bay went 3-for-4 with two homers in the loss Tuesday as the Pirates (14-32) dropped to 1-4 on their six-game road trip.

"One guy's not enough to carry a team a lot of times," said Bay, who's hitting .417 (10-for-24) with six homers and 11 RBIs in his last six games. "I've been doing a lot better lately, but we're still not winning."

Neither is Wednesday starter Zach Duke (2-5, 4.19), who has struggled after a sparkling rookie season in which when he went 8-2 with a 1.81 ERA.

Since tossing his first major league shutout against the Chicago Cubs on May 2, Duke has lost three in a row with a 5.68 ERA, allowing 12 runs and 20 hits and 10 walks in 19 innings.

He pitched well in his last start, allowing three runs in seven innings of a 4-1 loss to Cleveland on Friday, but walked a career-high six.

Duke has never faced Arizona.

[Witlon]

99 degrees at gametime for tonights game...dayam. I can't imagine 80 here right now.

[Witlon]

N. McLouth cf
J. Wilson ss
F. Sanchez 3b
J. Bay lf
C. Wilson 1b
J. Bautista rf
J. Castillo 2b
R. Paulino ca
Z. Duke p


C. Counsell ss
E. Byrnes cf
C. Tracy 3b
C. Jackson 1b
S. Green rf
A. Green lf
O. Hudson 2b
C. Snyder ca
M. Bautista sp

[Witlon]

First pitch in a few moments...stay tuned.

[Witlon]

Top 1- Pirates batting. Pitcher: Miguel Batista(R)
N. McLouth flied to left. (A. Green)(1 out)
J. Wilson singled to center.
F. Sanchez flied to center. (E. Byrnes)(2 outs)
J. Bay grounded to third. (C. Tracy - C. Jackson)(3 outs)

Note: Late lineup switch: Damion Easley pulled from lineup, Orlando Hudson in, will bat 7th. Green and Green each move up a spot, respectively.

[Witlon]

Bottom 1- Diamondbacks batting. Pitcher: Zach Duke(L)
C. Counsell lined to first. (C. Wilson)(1 out)
E. Byrnes homered to left. Diamondbacks 1, Pirates 0
C. Tracy grounded to second. (J. Castillo - C. Wilson)(2 outs)
C. Jackson struck out looking. (1st strikeout by Z. Duke)(3 outs)

[Witlon]

Top 2- Pirates batting. Pitcher: Miguel Batista(R)
C. Wilson homered to left. Pirates 1, Diamondbacks 1
J. Bautista grounded to second. (O. Hudson - C. Jackson)(1 out)
J. Castillo grounded to short. (C. Counsel - C. Jackson)(2 outs)
R. Paulino grounded to second. (O. Hudson - C. Jackson)(3 outs)

Through one and a half, 1-1 in Arizona.

Note: Jose Bautista returning tonight from berevment list, as he was attending his grandmother's funeral. Byrnes' homer was #6 on the season for him. Wilson's homer was #8 on the season for him.

[redsrbetter]

sounds like a hot one. Good luck tonight bro...

[Witlon]

Bottom 2- Diamondbacks batting. Pitcher: Zach Duke(L)
S. Green singled to right.
A. Green grounded to short. (J. Wilson - C. Wilson)(1 out)
O. Hudson singled to right, S. Green to third.
S. Green scored, O. Hudson to second on Z. Duke wild pitch. Diamondbacks 2, Pirates 1
C. Snyder singled to center, Hudson scored. Diamondbacks 3, Pirates 1
M. Batista grounded into a double play to the pitcher. (Z. Duke - J. Wilson - C. Wilson)(3 outs)

Note: Finding a way to try to lose another one. ****. *sigh*

[Witlon]

Top 3- Pirates batting. Pitcher: Miguel Batista(R)
Z. Duke walked.
N. McLouth flied to center. (E. Byrnes)(1 out)
J. Wilson grounded into a double play to the pitcher. (M. Bautista - C. Counsell - C. Jackson)(3 outs)

GOD DAMN IT JACK. Through 2.5, 3-1 AZ.

[Witlon]

Bottom 3- Diamondbacks batting. Pitcher: Zach Duke(L)
C. Counsell grounded to first. (C. Wilson)(1 out)
E. Byrnes struck out swinging. (2nd strikeout by Z. Duke)(2 outs)
C. Tracy singled to right.
C. Jackson safe on second baseman J. Castillo's fielding error, Tracy to second.
S. Green reached on second baseman J. Castillo's throwing error, Tracy scored, Jackson to third. Diamondbacks 4, Pirates 1
A. Green touched his bunted foul ball. (R. Paulino)(3 outs)

**** YOU JOSE. SERIOUSLY. ****. YOU.

[Witlon]

I can't watch anymore of this god forsaken team, I'm going out and getting drunk.

*sigh*

[redsrbetter]

dang man, this sucks. tough break tonight.

[Witlon]

Welp, tried to pull it out at the end I see, but just too many mistakes early in the game. It's hard to even watch this team anymore, they just don't do anything right enough to have any hope.

[Friday133]

wow, they are just terrible. actually i wouldn't mind seeing tracy getting fired. and what's more is our farm system is falling apart. van whatever his name is benshouten is having a tough time with rehab, and christ he's already 26. we're just going to get worse.