Ryne Nelson's Outstanding Start Evens Up Series Vs. the Cardinals

The young right-hander made some huge pitches in the Diamondbacks win over the Cardinals.

Apr 13, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Ryne Nelson (19) throws / Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

Ryne Nelson's season hasn't started as he hoped after losing his first two starts. However, the right-hander righted the ship in a 4-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals Saturday night. Nelson pitched into the 7th inning and made some huge pitches when he needed to with the game on the line.

Two batters into the 6th, Nelson found himself in trouble. The Cardinals had runners on second and third, with no one out in a 1-1 game. With the game in the balance, D-backs manager Torey Lovullo felt it was Nelson's game to win or lose. The right-hander executed key pitches and escaped the jam without allowing a run, finishing the frame with a three-pitch strikeout of Jordan Walker to strand the bases loaded. The D-backs rode that momentum wave the following half-inning as Lourdes Gurriel Jr. crushed a three-run home run that put them up for good.

"Those are those big swing moments," said Lovullo. "You can feel that happen in the dugout, you can feel that happen in the field. I felt like that was the key point of the game. That was a great moment for us to get out of, Nelly did a good job of executing pitches in that situation."

#Dbacks manager Torey Lovullo on the momentum flip from Ryne Nelson escaping a 6th inning jam, then the offense riding the wave to take the lead the following half-inning. pic.twitter.com/LZNTNdQgkM

— Michael McDermott (@MichaelMcDMLB) April 14, 2024

What stood out from Nelson's start was his ability to command his fastball, especially against a team that ranks 22nd in batting average and 25th in weighted on-base average (wOBA) against four-seamers entering play Saturday. He used the pitch to get ahead of hitters early in the count, with first-pitch strikes on 20 of the 26 batters faced.

"When he's right, he can work lines," said Lovullo. "He can work both lines, both sides. He had a little bit of extra finish, a little bit of extra carry. He's doing a great job."

With Jordan Montgomery making his final tune-up start with Triple-A Reno, the D-backs have some tough decisions to make with the rotation. Lovullo said before the game he's looking for guys who can throw strikes, get outs, and help them win games. After the game, he said that Nelson helped himself with this start.

The D-backs will have a chance to win the series, with Zac Gallen taking the mound in the rubber game of the series. He'll be opposed by Miles Mikolas, the Cardinals' Opening Day starter. First pitch at Chase Field is scheduled for 1:10 PM MST.