D-backs Try to Get Back on Track with Ryne Nelson Against the Padres

Fresh off a thrilling victory Thursday, the Arizona Diamondbacks fell flat Friday evening against the San Diego Padres when they lost 10-3 due to a lack of timely hitting with runners in scoring position and a rough start by Brandon Pfaadt. Now, they face the Padres once again and will look to regain a victory and move closer to a playoff spot. First pitch is at 6:40 PM local Arizona time.

In more urgent Diamondbacks news, Ketel Marte and Gabriel Moreno have been scratched from the team's lineup. Moreno is likely to get him a day off and get Tucker Barnhart's left-handed bat in against a pitcher that struggles versus lefties.

However, Marte appeared to injure his back on his final swing during last night's game in the 9th inning. For more information, check out Jack Sommer's article and update on it. The Diamondbacks cannot afford to lose their All-Star second baseman for any length of time so hopefully, this is precautionary.

UPDATE: Ketel Marte was scratched with Lower Back Tightness. Gabriel Moreno was scratched with an Illness.

Ketel Marte has been the MVP of the Arizona Diamondbacks season so far. Any games without him will be that more tougher for the D-backs to win and climb back into the playoff race.

The D-backs are one game back of a three-way tie for the third Wild Card spot with two teams ahead of them as well. They are 30-34 and hold a -7 run differential. The Padres are in the second Wild Card spot and are up a 1/2 game over the third place teams. They are 33-34.

The D-backs are 5-5 over their last ten games and have won five of their last seven games. The Padres are 4-6 over their last ten games and have struggled at home with a record of 14-20. Arizona is 15-18 on the road.

If Arizona wins the next two games of the series, Arizona will move into a Wild Card spot and San Diego will fall out of Wild Card positioning making these next two games extremely critical for both teams.

In other roster news, the Arizona Diamondbacks optioned RHP Humberto Castellanos to Triple-A Reno and recalled RHP Scott McGough. McGough is back in the big leagues after a lengthy stay with the Reno Aces to work on his pitches.

Starting Pitchers

Ryne Nelson, RHP, 3-4, 5.44 ERA, 4.31 FIP in 48 innings

Nelson is making his second start this week. His last one was his best one of the season when he pitched 7.2 innings against the Giants and allowed just two runs on six hits with a strikeout. His FIP indicates that he's been a tad bit unlucky this year in terms of allowing runs.

However, he has given up 64 hits while striking out just 32. Too much contact with too few of whiffs will lead to plenty of run-scoring chances and potential.

However, this year, batters are hitting just .226 and have a .561 OPS in RISP situations with Nelson on the mound.

Nelson has been quite good over his last three "starts", one was behind an opener. Over his last three games and 18.2 innings, Nelson has given up six runs, 16 hits, six walks, and struck out nine. He has a 2.89 ERA over that span. Opponents have hit just .235 with .694 OPS during that time.

The D-backs will need Nelson to keep this kind of performance up with a tired bullpen and an offense that is hit or miss lately. The D-backs are in need of a win and will look to Nelson to stay hot and lead them to victory over the rival Padres.

That will be easier said than done for Nelson as over six starts, he is 2-2 with a 6.23 ERA over 30.1 innings in his career against the Padres.

Matt Waldron, RHP, 3-5, 3.98 ERA, 3.30 FIP in 63.1 innings

Waldron is a rare pitcher in today's MLB. He's a man who is continuing a tradition that has mostly gone extinct in the last decade. He's a knuckleballer. He throws it 37.4% of the time and was even mentored by current D-backs radio analyst Tom Candiotti.

Besides the knuckleball, Waldron throws a four-seam (23.3%), sweeper (18.4%, sinker (15.4%), and the occasional cutter (5.5%). His knuckleball has been tough to hit with a batting average against of .211 and xBA of .197.

Waldron strikes out more batters than expected for a knuckleball thrower. He has 64 and just 19 walks with 61 hits so far.

The D-backs faced Waldron once this year, back on May 5th, and hit him hard. In three innings, he allowed eight hits, eight runs, three walks, struck out two, and gave up a homer.

However, since that time, Waldron has been nearly unhittable. Over his five starts and 29.1 innings since then, he has a 1.84 ERA and 1.91 FIP during that span with 21 hits, six runs, six walks given up to go with 35 strikeouts.

D-backs hitters will have to be patient and repeat what they did successfully against him. The key will be getting runners on base or in RISP situations. With men on base, he gives up a .731 OPS and with RISP, Waldron gives up a .780 OPS.

In the first two innings of games, Waldron has given up 33 hits, 22 runs, and five homers. They'll have to do a lot of damage early, something Arizona excels at. In two career games and eight innings against Arizona, he has a 13.50 ERA and given up 13 hits, 13 runs, six walks, and seven strikeouts.

Starting Lineups

The D-backs have a different lineup than usual with both Ketel Marte and Gabriel Moreno not in it. Meanwhile, the Padres are trotting out the same lineup as last night.

Corbin Carroll is 2-5 with two RBI against Waldron. Jake McCarthy is 3-3 with two RBI as well. Christian Walker and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. are both 1-3 though Walker has two RBIs and Gurriel Jr. has one RBI.

Blaze Alexander will look to stay hot in June after hitting .400 over his last seven games. Meanwhile, Joc Pederson had two hits last night and will strive to get his OPS back over .900+ as he pushes for an All-Star spot.