It was a tough night in the desert for the Pittsburgh Pirates, as they were completely shut down by Arizona Diamondbacks starter Eduardo Rodríguez, falling 9-0 at Chase Field on Tuesday.
Rodríguez (3-0) was dominant, carrying a no-hitter into the fifth inning and finishing with seven scoreless frames. He allowed just two hits, walked three, and struck out a season-high seven batters, leaving the Pirates' lineup searching for answers all night.
The Diamondbacks jumped on the board early. In the bottom of the first, Ketel Marte tripled off Pirates starter Bubba Chandler (1-4) and scored on a sacrifice fly. A miscommunication in the outfield between Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz then allowed another run to score, giving Arizona a 2-0 lead.
The game got away from the Pirates in the sixth inning. Reliever Yohan Ramírez, who had been nearly untouchable this season, was tagged for five runs. Gabriel Moreno doubled home a run, Nolan Arenado followed with a two-run double, and Alek Thomas and Corbin Carroll added to the damage. Suddenly, it was 7-0.
Arizona tacked on two more in the eighth off Dennis Santana, with Marte and Del Castillo delivering RBI singles to seal the lopsided victory.
The Pirates (19-17) had a golden opportunity to get back into the game in the second inning, putting two runners on with just one out, but they came up empty. It was a night of missed chances against a pitcher who simply had his best stuff.
There was one bright spot for Pittsburgh: rookie Konnor Griffin extended his hitting streak to seven games with a double in the seventh. He's been on fire, hitting .435 with extra-base power during the streak.
It was also a night of changes for the Pirates. Manager Don Kelly served a one-game suspension, with bench coach Kristopher Negrón taking the reins as acting manager. Right-hander Chris Devenski was also suspended by MLB for two games.
This marks the third time this season the Pirates have been shut out, and they'll look to bounce back quickly in the next game of the series. For fans, it's a reminder that even the best teams have rough nights—but the key is how you respond the next day.