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The Arizona Diamondbacks come into Pittsburgh as a tantilizing +110 underdog, having won nine of the last ten games against Pittsburgh.
PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Luke Weaver (1-1, 3.92 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Trevor Williams (1-0, 2.59)
Weaver needed 93 pitches to get through five scoreless innings Thursday in Atlanta, but he yielded only four hits and walked one while registering a season-high nine strikeouts en route to his first victory since coming over from St. Louis in the trade involving Paul Goldschmidt. The 25-year-old has gotten better in each outing and owns a 24:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 20 2/3 frames. Josh Bell is 3-for-10 with a walk against Weaver, who is 1-1 with a 4.18 ERA in seven career appearances (four starts) versus the Pirates.
Williams posted his fourth quality start in as many tries but did not factor in the decision for the third straight time Wednesday in Detroit despite permitting two runs over six innings. The Arizona State product has been exceptional in 16 outings since last year's All-Star break, going 8-3 with a 1.68 ERA while allowing more than three runs only once. Peralta (4-for-10, three extra-base hits) has fared well against Williams, who is 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA in four career starts versus the Diamondbacks.
