Eyeing sweep, Diamondbacks strike first vs. Pirates; Yilber Diaz cruising

The Diamondbacks scored the first runs of the day in the fourth inning, and they took a 2-0 lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates into the fifth inning on Sunday afternoon at Chase Field.

Joc Pederson (double) and Jake McCarthy (RBI triple) delivered extra-base hits in the inning off Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller, and Eugenio Suarez came through with a sacrifice fly to push across the second run of the game.

Right-hander Yilber Diaz has worked around three walks in four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out six. Three of his strikeouts are on called third strikes.

The Diamondbacks, who won the first two games of this series the past two nights, are looking to complete a three-game sweep.

Ketel Marte, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. get days off

Second baseman Ketel Marte is out of the lineup on Sunday, with manager Torey Lovullo saying Marte is “a little gassed out” and in need of a break.

“It’s been a busy several weeks for him physically and emotionally,” Lovullo said. “Just a day game after a night game made a lot of sense.”

Lovullo said he has left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. out of the lineup for the same reason.

“Just needs a day off,” Lovullo said.

Speaking of, Lovullo said he is “hunting” for a day off for first baseman Christian Walker, who has played in each of the Diamondbacks’ 105 games, starting 103 of them. Lovullo said Walker’s workload is “a concern of mine.”

“I don’t like what I did to him for the first half,” Lovullo said. “It was two games off but he got into both of them. And he’s played every game. I don’t want that to happen. I’m looking for a day off for him. I haven’t quite got there yet. We’re in a good spot — we’re playing good baseball and we need him on the field — but I know a recharged and very strong Christian Walker is going to help us win games and I have to balance that.”

Monday’s Diamondbacks-Nationals pitching matchup

Nationals at Diamondbacks, 6:40 p.m., Cox, Ch. 34

Diamondbacks LHP Jordan Montgomery (7-5, 6.11)  vs. Nationals LHP DJ Herz (1-4, 4.95).

At Chase Field: Montgomery made his return from a knee injury last week in Kansas City, giving up just one run in five innings against the Royals.  … Montgomery averaged 91.6 mph with his fastball in that start and elicited four swinging strikes with his change-up. … Montgomery has faced the Nationals only twice in his career, one time each in the past two seasons. Last year, he allowed one run in seven innings. … Herz, a rookie, was an eighth-round pick by the Cubs in 2019. He was traded to the Nationals at the deadline last July as part of the IF Jeimer Candelario deal. … In eight starts in the majors, Herz has done well getting whiffs and strikeouts, but he has not been pitching deep into games, averaging less than five innings per start. … He averages 93.4 mph with his fastball and also relies heavily on his change-up and slider. … He has never faced the Diamondbacks.

Coming up

Tuesday: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Ryne Nelson (7-6, 4.85)  vs. Nationals LHP Mitchell Parker (5-6, 4.34).

Wednesday: At Chase Field, 12:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (8-5, 3.70)  vs. Nationals LHP Patrick Corbin (2-10, 5.26).

Thursday: Off.

Friday: At PNC Park, 3:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Pfaadt (5-6, 3.92)  vs. Pirates RHP Luis Ortiz (5-2, 2.75).

What to know about the Washington Nationals

The Nationals’ rebuild seems to be taking another step forward this year. They have hung around the .500 mark for much of the year, though haven’t played well enough to be true contenders. As such, they have begun to sell some of their veterans, starting with a reported deal that will send OF Jesse Winker to the New York Mets. They also are reportedly listening to offers on RF Lane Thomas and RHP Kyle Finnegan, among others. SS CJ Abrams is having a strong year, hitting .259/.333/.461 with 15 homers and 19 steals, though he has been caught stealing 10 times. 2B Luis Garcia Jr. has a .280 average and 11 homers. OF James Wood, one of the top prospects in baseball, has had an uneven start to his career, hitting .235/.309/.341 in 22 games since debuting on July 1. The Nationals pitching staff ranks 11th in the league with a 4.20 ERA. RHP Jake Irvin has been their best starter, logging a 3.44 ERA in 128 1/3 innings.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Eyeing sweep, Diamondbacks strike first vs. Pirates; Yilber Diaz cruising