Arizona Diamondbacks vs Pittsburgh Pirates

Arizona Diamondbacks at Pittsburgh Pirates (2026-07-29). Eduardo Rodriguez vs Jared Jones at PNC Park.

Starters — Eduardo Rodriguez enters with a 2.64 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 122.2 innings. His 6.31 K/9 is modest, but he has limited damage well with a 0.95 HR/9 and a 9-3 record. Control is decent rather than sharp at 3.23 BB/9. Over his last three starts, he has allowed 2 earned runs in 6 innings, 5 earned runs in 2.2 innings, and 2 earned runs in 6 innings, with 12 strikeouts and 6 walks in that span. The listed trend is up, and two of the last three outings were solid rebound-type performances. Jared Jones has a 3.72 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 46 innings, with much stronger bat-missing ability at 10.37 K/9. He has paired that with 2.54 BB/9, though the 1.17 HR/9 is a mild risk point. His last three starts have been excellent: 6 innings and 1 earned run, 5 innings and 1 earned run, and 6 innings and 0 earned runs, with 22 strikeouts against 2 walks. The listed trend is down, but his recent game log points to strong current form.

Teams — Arizona carries a .708 OPS, 489 runs, a .242 team average, and pitching marks of 4.24 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. The Diamondbacks are 6-4 over their last 10, suggesting decent recent form, but their offense has been more middle-tier by OPS and run production than explosive. Pittsburgh brings a stronger .759 OPS, 563 runs, and a .260 team average, with a 4.29 ERA and 1.32 WHIP on the pitching side. The Pirates are 5-5 in their last 10, but their season-long offensive profile is clearly better than Arizona’s in both contact and run creation. From a matchup perspective, Pittsburgh’s lineup has the more productive baseline, while Arizona may lean more heavily on Rodriguez working deep and limiting hard damage.