The Diamondbacks Counting on Brandon Pfaadt to Quiet Marlins Bats

Miami came to Chase Field ready to hit, and banged the ball around the yard in the first game of the series.

Jun 17, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Brandon Pfaadt (32) delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The Arizona Diamondbacks will look to avoid a series loss Saturday afternoon against the Miami Marlins after dropping the series opener 9-8. First pitch is 1:10 p.m. MST.

A furious three-run ninth inning rally fell a run short of tying Friday night's game. The D-backs are 41-40 through 81 games, and simply have not been able to get on a run, even in a part of the schedule against supposedly weaker teams. With injuries piling up, that run is turning out to be ever-elusive.

Josh Naylor was pulled from Friday night's game with what Torey Lovullo described as neck stiffness. On follow-up, he did not dispel the possibility this might be related to the previous shoulder injury he experienced in Chicago early in the week. Naylor is not expected to play Saturday.

The D-backs will hope to regroup behind Brandon Pfaadt, who faces off against Sandy Alcantara. The Marlins have won five in a row, and scored 29 runs in their last three games. That's improved their record to 35-45, allowing them to climb out of the NL East basement in the process. They're a hot team that is crushing the ball at the moment.

Arizona Diamondbacks and Miami Marlins Pitching Matchup

Sandy Alcantara and Brandon Pfaadt Stats | Jack Sommers

Sandy Alcantara was already a very good workhorse pitcher on a bad team for three years before he broke out in 2022 to win the NL Cy Young award by a unanimous vote. He led the league with 228 innings pitched, six complete games, and 8.0 bWAR. He finished second in ERA with a 2.28 mark.

He was never quite right in 2023 however, and had a 4.14 ERA in 28 starts when he was shut down with an elbow injury in early September. He ended up needing Tommy John surgery and missed all of 2024.

In what is probably a good reminder for Diamondbacks fans, pitchers usually need some time to regain effectiveness when coming back from this injury. That has been the case with Alcantara.

Over his first 11 starts, 51 innings, Alcantara posted a 8.47 ERA with a 5.37 FIP. He walked 29 batters and gave up eight homers. This is a pitcher who had walked just 2.2 per nine innings and gave up less than a homer per nine over his previous three seasons.

But now it seems like he has found it again. In his last four starts, 23 innings, Alcantara has given up five walks and two homers, posting a 2.74 ERA. Stuff-wise, Alcantara still has it. His four-seam and sinker come in at about 97.5 MPH, just half a tick lower than his peak in 2022. The spin rates and movement profiles are all similar. In short, Sandy Alcantara appears to be back.

Brandon Pfaadt got off to a tremendous start in 2025. Through the end of April he made six starts, completing six innings in five of them and going 5.2 innings in the other. His record was 5-1 with a 2.78 ERA.

Pfaadt's strikeout rate was down somewhat, with just 29 in 34 innings, and he gave up five homers, but only walked six. His 3.94 FIP was over a run higher than his ERA, but it felt nit-picky to highlight that during this run.

From that point forward the young right-hander's season has turned into a nightmare of hard contact and frequent blowups. Over his last 10 games, 44.2 innings pitched he's given up 58 hits, including 11 homers. His ERA in this span is 7.66. In his most recent start he threw four scoreless innings in Colorado, but then allowed a four-run fifth inning in a 4-2 loss.

Despite this tough stretch, Pfaadt has proven he is a pitcher who can get on a run, similar to the one he had to start the season. With the D-backs only getting five innings out of Merrill Kelly on Friday night, there is no time like the present to start one of those runs with a six-plus inning quality start.

Lineups

Diamondbacks vs Marlins lineup | Alex D'Agostino

Naylor is out of Saturday's game after Friday's exit. Pavin Smith will man first base. Eugenio Suárez appears to be healthy, however, batting cleanup and playing third base after a 2-for-4 night in his return from a hand contusion Friday.

Diamondbacks and Marlins Bulllpens

The Diamondbacks used three relievers on Friday night, Juan Morillo, Kevin Ginkel, and Tayler Scott. Morillo was charged with one run and Scott gave up three. The D-backs' "positive role" bullpen of Shelby Miller, Jalen Beeks, Ryan Thompson, and Kyle Backhus are well-rested now, following the last three days off.

The Marlins bullpen has been very heavily taxed over the last six days. Co-closers Colin Faucher and Ronny Henriquez have each worked three of the last four games and four of the last six. It would be surprising if either of them were available Saturday. In total five Marlins relievers threw 87 pitches Friday night.