The Pittsburgh Pirates open a three-game series on the road Monday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Pirates are in a tailspin having lost three straight through Saturday after falling to the Chicago Cubs 2-0 at Wrigley Field. The Pirates were held to just one hit by Cubs starter Jon Lester and a pair of relievers on Saturday. The two teams will complete the series Sunday.
Arizona won its second straight Saturday downing the Colorado Rockies 12-7. Paul Goldschmidt continues to pound the ball as he hit two home runs for the second straight game while knocking in four runs. Arizona with the win extended its lead in the National League West to 2 ½ games over Los Angeles and Colorado.
Corey Dickerson leads the Pirates with a .321 batting average and team high 72 hits. Francisco Cervelli leads the team in home runs with nine and RBIs with 35. Pittsburgh has a team batting average of .252 while opposing hitters are averaging .253 at the plate against Pirates pitching. On Monday, the Pirates will send Joe Musgrove to the mound. The right-hander this season is 2-1 with an ERA of 1.89, 17 Ks and 5 BBs.
David Peralta leads Arizona with a .276 batting average and team high 62 hits. Paul Goldschmidt is the team leader in home runs with 12, while Daniel Descalso leads in RBIs with 31. Arizona has a team batting average of .222 while opposing hitters are averaging .233 at the plate against Diamondbacks pitching. On Monday, the Diamondbacks will send Patrick Corbin to the mound. The left-hander this season is 6-2 with an ERA of 2.87, 105 Ks and 22 BBs.
