D-backs look to finish home slate on high note vs. Giants

The Arizona Diamondbacks conclude their final homestand of the season on Sunday when they face the San Francisco Giants in Phoenix. Arizona (71-82) evened the three-game series with a 5-2 victory on Saturday. The D-backs received another impressive outing from Merrill Kelly, who pitched seven strong innings for his career high-tying 13th victory of the season. San Francisco (74-78) had its five-game winning streak snapped despite the efforts of right fielder Mike Yastrzemski, who doubled and hit a solo homer. Yastrzemski has had a disappointing season at the plate, hitting .213 with 15 homers and 50 RBIs. However, the 32-year-old is 8-for-21 with three homers in his last five games. "It's just one of those things where I want to feel a little bit of momentum going into the offseason and have something to feel good about what happened this year," Yastrzemski said. "We're slowly trying to build on that and keep the good feels and the play going." San Francisco is 6-9 versus Arizona this season after going 17-2 against the Diamondbacks in 2021. The Giants are expected to send Jakob Junis (4-6, 4.41 ERA) to the mound for the series finale. The right-hander allowed six runs (five earned) on 12 hits in 4 1/3 innings against the Colorado Rockies last Monday. After going 4-1 with a 3.06 ERA in his first 10 appearances this season, Junis is 0-6 with a 5.71 ERA over his past 11 outings. Junis, 30, is 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA in three career starts versus Arizona, including two solid outings this season. The D-backs will counter with rookie Drey Jameson (2-0, 1.38) on Sunday. The right-hander has won his first two career starts, allowing a total of two runs on nine hits in 13 innings. Jameson, 25, gave up two runs on seven hits over six frames in a 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday. Jameson tossed seven scoreless innings in his first career start, shutting down the San Diego Padres on Sept. 15. Arizona is giving outfielder Pavin Smith another look during the season's final two weeks. The 26-year-old was sent to Triple-A Reno in July and missed time with a fractured right wrist. Smith had two hits in Saturday's victory and figures to receive regular playing time after Jake McCarthy was placed on the bereavement list on Friday. "I'm going to try to finish strong, have fun, win some games, try not to put any sort of pressure on myself," Smith said. The D-backs are guaranteed a losing season for the third straight year, but there are plenty of reasons for optimism. Several rookies have made positive impressions over the past month, including outfielder Corbin Carroll. Carroll, 22, is hitting .306 (15-for-49) with three homers and seven RBIs in his last 17 games. "The guys have done a really good job of making me feel comfortable and included in what we have going on here," Carroll said. "I've tried to stick with my process, stick with my routines, to be able to go out there and put up my best performance." --Field Level Media