Diamondbacks blank Pirates 5-0 behind Nelson to stop 5-game slide

PHOENIX (AP) — Eugenio Suárez and Josh Naylor homered to back a stellar start from Ryne Nelson as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-0 on Monday night to end a five-game skid.

Suárez hit his 15th homer — a 109 mph shot to left-center that traveled 433 feet — for a 3-0 lead against Andrew Heaney (3-4) in the third inning. Suárez also walked with one out in the fifth before Naylor launched his sixth home run.

Nelson (2-1) permitted four hits in 6 2/3 innings as Arizona (27-27) got back to .500. He struck out four and walked none.

Justin Martinez stranded three inherited runners after coming in with the bases loaded and nobody out in the eighth. Ryan Thompson pitched the ninth to finish a six-hitter for Arizona’s fifth shutout.

Pittsburgh (19-36) has been blanked nine times — most in the majors. The last-place Pirates dropped to 6-20 on the road by losing the opener of a six-game trip.

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Ryne Nelson throws against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first inning during a baseball game, Monday, May 26, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Randal Grichuk singled leading off the Arizona second and Gabriel Moreno doubled. Tim Tawa’s sacrifice fly and Ketel Marte’s two-out RBI single made it 2-0.

Scott McGough entered to begin the eighth for Arizona and issued two walks after Isiah Kiner-Falefa reached on an error. Martinez stranded all three runners.

Heaney allowed five runs and eight hits in five innings. Braxton Ashcraft followed and gave up two hits over three shutout innings in his major league debut.

Marte went 2 for 4 with a walk to extend his hitting streak to nine games.

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