Diamondbacks shut out Pirates for sweep
David Peralta and John Ryan Murphy clobbered the ball for early homers on Sunday to lift the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks to a 3-0 win and a fourgame series sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Arizona right-hander Clay Buchholz (2-1) left after five innings because of tightness in his left side, and after a strong start. He was perfect through 3 2/3 innings and gave up two hits overall – a two-out double to Starling Marte in the fourth and a two-out single to Josh Bell in the fifth – while striking out five and walking none.
After the game, Buchholz said he hoped he would be ready for his next start, and manager Torey Lovullo said the team would re-evaluate him on Monday.
Diamondbacks right-hander Shelby Miller (Tommy John surgery) is expected to make his first start since April 17, 2017 on Monday at Miami.
Diamondbacks relievers Andrew Chafin (one hit, four strikeouts, 1 2/3 innings), Yoshihisa Hirano (one hit, 1 1/3 innings) and closer Brad Boxberger (one hit in the ninth, 17th save) preserved the five-hit shutout.
Arizona have won five of their past six games and 12 of 16. The four starters in the series – Zack Godley, Patrick Corbin, Zack Greinke and Buchholz – allowed a combined 11 hits, three runs (two earned), with 29 strikeouts, three walks in 24 innings.
The Pirates have lost five straight, six of seven and 24 of 34 to fall to a season-worst five games below 0.500.
Pittsburgh starter Trevor Williams (6-5) had a strong performance outside of the two homers. He gave up three runs and five hits in six innings, with six strikeouts and no walks.
Clay Holmes and Edgar Santana kept Arizona off the board after Williams, but the Diamondbacks did their damage early.
With two outs in the first, Jake Lamb singled to right. Peralta followed with his 15th homer, a 425-foot (129.54-meter) drive to right that cleared the stands and bounced into the Allegheny River for a 2-0 lead.
Murphy pushed the lead to 3-0 when he led off the second with a 434-foot blast off the rotunda in left, his ninth homer.