Diamondbacks look to sweep the Giants

The Diamondbacks have won the first two games of this three-game series against the San Francisco Giants, securing a series win. They go for the series sweep, with first pitch at Chase Field scheduled for 12:40 P.M. MST.

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Since going through a rough seven-game stretch where they went 1-6, they have rebounded for four straight wins. The offense has come back to life with 36 runs in their past five games. Confidence is growing in the Diamondbacks clubhouse, especially with how wide open the National League Wild Card race is this season. They sit half a game out of position for a playoff spot entering play.

They take on a Giants team devastated by injuries, with a league-leading 13 players currently on the injured list, and lost six straight games. The last time the Diamondbacks swept the Giants in a three-game series was July 25-27, 2022 at Chase Field.

Starting Pitcher Matchup

Jordan Montgomery (3-3, 5.48 ERA) is coming off the worst start to his season, allowing eight runs (six earned) in four innings in a 10-9 loss to the New York Mets. He has been nowhere close to the level of pitcher he was last year, pitching with diminished stuff and command after signing with the team on March 29. The curveball has been a solid pitch for Montgomery, but the sinker velocity is down nearly two MPH compared to last year and his command for the changeup has been inconsistent at best. Despite that, he’s recorded a quality start in four of his eight starts this season.

Jordan Hicks (4-2, 2.70 ERA) has proven to be one of the most shrewd signings by the Giants this season. The former reliever has successfully converted into a solid starter who can eat innings in the middle of their rotation. Sacrificing velocity for control and movement, Hicks has a career-low 7.4% walk rate and a 52.5% ground ball rate. He’s aggressive at filling up the zone with a sinker that averages just under 95 MPH, then uses his splitter and sweeper to change speeds and locations.

Starting Lineups

Game Notes

Diamondbacks

• Jordan Montgomery made his Diamondbacks debut against the Giants on April 19. Montgomery allowed one run in six innings in a 17-1 win in San Francisco. He has a career 1.96 ERA in three starts against the Giants.
• Christian Walker and Ketel Marte are both out of the starting lineup. Walker was 2-for-4 with a home run against Hicks.
• Pavin Smith will get his first start since hitting a walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning Monday night. It is Smith’s second start at first base this season, his previous one coming April 21 against the Giants.
• Right fielder Jake McCarthy is 2-for-4 with a home run against Hicks.
• The last time the Diamondbacks won five straight games was September 15-20, 2023, when they swept a five-game homestand against the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants.

Giants

• Jordan Hicks allowed one run in five innings in his lone start against the Diamondbacks in 2024.
• Third baseman Matt Chapman is 4-for-9 with two doubles against the Diamondbacks in this series.
• Mike Yastrzemski is in the Giants starting lineup after hitting a three-run home run in the eighth inning of the Diamondbacks 8-5 win over the Giants Tuesday. He is the lone left-handed bat in their lineup, facing the left-handed Montgomery.
• Austin Slater is active and starting for the Giants, leading off and playing center field. He was previously on the 7-day IL with a concussion.

Bullpen Situations

Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks will be without closer Paul Sewald, who’s pitched in three of the past four days. Kevin Ginkel is also unavailable after throwing 35 pitches in 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Jordan Montgomery will have to pitch deep into this game in order for manager Torey Lovullo to successfully piece together the end of this game. They may be looking at a situation where Justin Martinez, Joe Mantiply, and Ryan Thompson have to close out this game. In the event of a blowout, Logan Allen should be available to do what he does best, vacuum up low-leverage innings.

Giants

Despite their pitching staff giving up eight runs, the Giants only needed to use two relievers to get through the game. Spencer Howard, who threw 67 pitches in long relief Monday, and Luke Jackson, who threw 28 pitches in a four-run seventh on Tuesday, are the only two arms unlikely to pitch in this game. Taylor Rogers pitched twice in the last three days, but in one of those outings he threw just one pitch. The rest of their bullpen is otherwise a full go.

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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks and Arizona Cardinals for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB