D-backs Look to Start Fresh Behind Ryne Nelson vs Giants

Arizona travels to Oracle Park to take on the giants in hopes of beginning a new hot streak.

Aug 29, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Ryne Nelson (19) throws in the first inning against the New York Mets at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports / Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

The Arizona Diamondbacks travel to Oracle Park in San Francisco to take on their NL West rival San Francisco Giants. First pitch is at 6:45 p.m. Arizona time.

Arizona is in second place in the NL Wild Card race, sitting at 77-61. After a forgettable 2-5 homestand, their cushion on the Mets and Braves has dwindled to just 2.5 games, and they are in dire need of a series win on the road.

They have a nine-game lead on the 68-70 Giants, though they only hold the season series at 4-3 currently. A series win would help in cementing an advantage over San Francisco as the season draws to a close.

The D-backs have suffered from a trend of poor starts by their pitching rotation, however, young righty Ryne Nelson hasn't been a part of the negative trend as of late.

Nelson's been Arizona's strongest arm, pitching four straight Quality Starts, and allowing just five earned runs over his last 18 2/3 innings. He's limited hard contact, showcased pinpoint command, and sequenced his excellent fastball well with his breaking and off-speed weapons.

His inflated ERA continues to trend downward. The number is down to 4.22 on the season, but is backed by a 3.74 FIP. In the month of August, Nelson struck out 33 batters while walking only an unbelievable four opponents.

That's brought his BB/9 to a miniscule 1.98, and he's walked two or fewer in 14 straight games, most recently walking just one total batter in his last three starts.

In a pitcher-friendly ballpark like Oracle, Nelson simply needs to continue doing what he's doing. A blowup start can strike at any time, but Nelson has been able to hit a cruising speed of delivering consistently solid starts, even on his rougher days.

The D-backs are in desperate need of a Quality Start or better, and, for the moment, Nelson looks like the best man for the job. Of course, anything can happen in baseball, and while Oracle Park is difficult to hit home runs in, extra-base hits can be a threat with its massive gaps and triples alley.

The Giants will turn to young left-hander Kyle Harrison. Harrison has pitched to a 4.22 ERA, and his 4.29 FIP suggests that's an accurate depiction of his season. After putting up a strong July, he's stumbled to a 6.38 monthly ERA in August.

In two starts against the D-backs this season, Harrison has allowed seven runs (six earned) on 14 hits over 10 innings, but has yet to allow a home run.

Harrison throws only three pitches: a 93 MPH fastball, 85 MPH changeup and 81 MPH slurve. His fastball is his primary pitch, used 58% of the time, and profiles well, providing a +10 run value per Baseball Savant.

But he's also been the victim of consistent hard contact. Where the catch lies is in the fact that the D-backs are a mere 23-25 against left-handed pitchers, and the key will be making sure that hard contact finds open grass.

There's plenty of said open grass at Oracle Park, but the D-backs have struggled there historically, with a 24-40 record at San Francisco since 2017. They'll need to get this series off to a hot start to begin building their Wild Card Lead once again.

Lineups

Diamondbacks vs Giants / Alex D'Agostino, Diamondbacks ON SI

The long wait is over. Gold Glove first baseman Christian Walker was activated ahead of tonight's game, and he'll hit in his regular cleanup spot in his return debut. Ketel Marte and Gabriel Moreno remain sidelined for the time being.

Unfortunately, the corresponding move was to place Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on the IL with a left calf strain. More on these roster moves here.

With Gurriel out, Randal Grichuk will play the field in left, and Josh Bell will continue to get at-bats as the DH against a left-hander. The speedy Jorge Barrosa will fill in for Jake McCarthy in center field.

NL Player of the Month Corbin Carroll is riding an impressive streak, getting on base in 41 straight starts. He'll hit second in hopes of extending the streak behind Geraldo Perdomo.

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