D-backs blanked by Pirates in Sunday’s rubber match loss

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jack Suwinski followed his game-winning homer a day earlier with three hits on Sunday to help the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-0.

The rookie has at least one hit in his past five games, and was 7 for 12 this series. Suwinski hit a two-run blast in the bottom of the ninth Saturday, giving the Pirates a 2-1 win, after going 3 for 4 on Friday.

“Any time we get our kids in the lineup and they start to play, you start to see the glimpses of putting the whole thing together,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “There has been a process to it. I understand that maybe at times that process is frustrating to people, but (general manager Ben Cherington) has had a plan all along.”

Pittsburgh took two of three from Arizona after a three-game sweep of the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

The Diamondbacks scored one run in the final 20 innings of the series after plating eight in the first seven innings.

“We have to be better, no doubt about it,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “We’re a very capable offensive team. We have a good approach. We don’t try to do too much and have big thoughts. It looked like we were having some big thoughts based on the types of swings I was watching us take.”

Pirates starter Zach Thompson (3-4) allowed four hits and two walks with four strikeouts. The right-hander has surrendered seven runs in 29 2/3 innings over his past six starts.

“It’s kind of all mechanical,” Thompson said. “Direction stuff is making my pitches play out a lot better. Before, I didn’t have very much consistency. Now I’m fixing direction and I’m able to stay a lot more consistent.”

David Bednar had two strikeouts in a perfect ninth for his 10th save.

Cal Mitchell started the fifth inning with with his first major-league home run, sending Zac Gallen’s curveball 370 feet over the Clemente Wall in right field and putting the Pirates up 1-0.

“It’s the future. It’s the new wave,” Mitchell said of being one of seven rookies on the roster. “We’re all trying to come up here and learn as fast as we can so we can add value to the team as fast as we can. Today, we did that.”

Gallen (4-1) gave up two runs on five hits, and had three walks and four strikeouts in his first loss since Sept. 13, 2021.

“My job is to keep us in the game,” Gallen said. “We lost today. So, for me, it’s a bummer. … Just tried to keep us in the game, tried to not let the thing unravel.”

Suwinski stole third with one out in the sixth after his second double of the day and went home on a sac fly, extending it to 2-0, before a bloop single from Ke’Bryan Hayes plated Tyler Heineman for the final run in the seventh.

Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte had his 16-game hitting streak end, going 0 for 4 with one strikeout.

“He’s capable of a lot offensively,” Lovullo said. “He needs to continue to work, as we all do. And we will. It was a great run for Ketel. I know he’s eager to start another streak tomorrow.”

ROSTER MOVES

Diamondbacks: INF Cole Tucker was claimed off waivers from the Pirates and optioned to Triple-A Reno. … RHP Jacob Webb was designated for assignment.

UP NEXT

Diamondbacks: LHP Madison Bumgarner (2-4, 3.31 ERA) is expected to start Monday for the first of a four-game series against the Cincinnati Reds. Bumgarner has allowed a combined 14 earned runs in his past five starts (0-3) since giving up six in his first seven this season (2-1).

Pirates: LHP José Quintana (1-2, 2.32) will take the mound Tuesday for the first of a two-game set against the Detroit Tigers. He has surrendered more than two earned runs once in 10 starts.