Diamondbacks continue road trip, face Pirates in Pittsburgh

Aug 12, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder

(11) is congratulated by catcher

after scoring in the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Diamondbacks suffered a disappointing setback, losing two of three to the Atlanta Braves. Their next series will provide an even bigger challenge when the D-Backs stroll into PNC Park to challenge the Pirates.

Arizona currently sits at 57-59, nine games back of the Dodgers in the N.L. West and 10 games back of the Chicago Cubs for the second Wild Card spot.

Arizona’s offense has been tough to contain lately but the bats became a little more inconsistent in the Atlanta series, especially in the series finale when they were in danger of being no-hit by Shelby Miller up until the 8th inning. The D-Back hitters will face another tough test against a solid Pittsburgh starting rotation and an excellent bullpen.

The Pirates continues to hit on all cylinders, as they have done for most of the season. The Bucs swept the Mets this past weekend extending their winning streak to four games and making them winners of eight of their last ten.

The Pirates boast a 69-46 record on the season and currently own the top spot in the Wild Card standings by 2.5 games over the Cubs. The Bucs are still within striking distance of the St. Louis Cardinals as well. Despite dropping their last series with St. Louis, Pittsburgh only remains five games back of the Central Division leaders.

Arizona’s road record is 27-30 so far on the season while the Pirates home record is 39-18, tied for the fewest losses at home in the majors with the Cardinals. The energy and atmosphere that Pittsburgh fans bring to PNC Park every definitely brings out the best in their hometown team and the Pirates’ home record would certainly indicate that fact as well.

The Pirates home record is 39-18, tied for the fewest losses at home in the majors with the Cardinals while Arizona’s road record is 27-30. While 27-30 may not sound like a great road record, it’s actually one of the top five road records in the National League based on win percentage.

So now that we have a firm grasp on where each team has been trending lately, let’s take a look at the pitching matchups and what to expect in each game.

Next: Game One