At a time when the Arizona Diamondbacks‘ rotation is in flux Richard Panik Jersey , left-hander Patrick Corbin could do well to give them a good start Friday against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.

Arizona expects several injured starters to return soon, and roster decisions are coming. Corbin’s spot would not seem to be in jeopardy, but he is coming off some inconsistent performances.

In early May, he was 4-0 with a 2.12 ERA. He goes into Friday’s start with a 6-3 record and a 3.48 ERA and is expected to be matched against Pittsburgh’s Ivan Nova (4-5, 4.42).

Corbin has given up at least five runs in three of his past four starts, including five against the Pirates at home on June 11.

In his most recent outing, a 5-1 loss to the New York Mets on Saturday, he gave up all five runs on eight hits in six innings.

“Just a couple mistakes there,” Corbin said of the game against the Mets. “If I locate better, different outcome.”

Corbin, who is 1-2 with a 5.90 ERA in five career starts against Pittsburgh, hasn’t been completely off lately. He has 19 strikeouts in his past 16 2/3 innings.

But against the Mets he could not pinpoint his curveball or his fastball.

“I just thought the pitch sequencing was a little bit off, and I thought there were a lot of fastball mistakes out over the plate that were hit, and they were handled by the Mets,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “Didn’t really get to the secondary stuff the way he typically does, and I think it’s more a product of the game plan and sequencing.”

Lovullo hasn’t lost confidence in Corbin.

“Worrisome? No. Not an issue for me whatsoever. We know that the season is going to have good and bad moments Shane Doan Jersey ,” he said.

The Diamondbacks (41-33) cruised to a 9-3 win in the series opener Thursday as the Pirates (36-38) lost for the third time in four games.

Pittsburgh dropped two of three last week at Arizona.

Nova was initially scheduled to start Thursday, but the Pirates opted to move everyone back a day when Wednesday’s game against Milwaukee was rained out, rather than do any shuffling with his rotation.

“This group right here has shown the ability to be flexible, to be resilient and also shown some benefits from an extra day (of rest) every now and then,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said.

It didn’t pan out that way. Chad Kuhl, who started the opener against Arizona after warming up several times Wednesday when there was false hope that the game against Milwaukee would be played, got rocked by the Diamondbacks for eight runs in two-plus innings.

Nova is coming off two good starts, going 2-0 with a 1.54 ERA since he was removed from the disabled list (sprained finger).

On Saturday, he struggled with his curveball, but it didn’t stop him from allowing just one run and five hits in six innings of a 6-2 win over Cincinnati.

“Even though I walked a couple guys, the fastball command is better than what it was before I hit the DL,” Nova said. “I think I’ve been able to control it a bit better. I think that’s been the key.”

Nova is 1-1 with a 4.00 ERA in three career starts against the Diamondbacks.

– When shortstop Xander Bogaerts is cranking out home runs, and crawling around to save runs, the Boston Red Sox know they are in good hands.

Bogaerts hit a tiebreaking home run in the sixth inning, and the Red Sox beat the Seattle Mariners 2-1 on Thursday night for their fourth consecutive victory.

David Price (8-4) pitched seven inning of four-hit ball to earn his sixth victory over his past seven appearances. He gave up a run and struck out seven. Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless ninth to lock down his 22nd save, pitching around two inning-opening walks by striking out Kyle Seager and getting Ryon Healy to ground into a double play.

It was Boston’s major-league leading 48th win of the season Russell Shepard Jersey , and snapped Seattle’s four-game winning streak.

”That was a pretty cool game, 2-1,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. ”That is a good team over there.”

Bogaerts certainly had a crucial impact. He homered with two outs in the sixth, hitting a 2-2 fastball from Felix Hernandez over the left-center field wall to give Boston a 2-1 lead. It was Bogaerts’ 10th home run of the season, matching his total from 2017.

It was an at-bat that certainly impressed his manager, given that Bogaerts had struck out against Hernandez in his first two at-bats.

”It seemed like he had no chance, honestly,” Cora said. ”He was swinging and missing. I think it was tough for him to see that ball when (Hernandez) was throwing the changeup.

”But he spread out and was trying to make contact. … And he gets a fastball, was short to it and he drilled it.”

Price was fantastic in outdueling Hernandez, who gave up both runs in seven innings, striking out six.

And after a slow first month, he has taken off. The zip has returned on his fastball, too, reaching 96 mph on Thursday.

”Velocity-wise, yeah (it was my best outing),” Price said. ”Command (wise) Daryl Williams Jersey , it was there, and then it wasn’t – and then it was there again. Whenever I really needed to make pitches tonight, I did.”

Price got a key out in the sixth inning in Seattle’s Jean Segura, the AL’s second-leading hitter at .347. The 11-pitch at-bat ended when Segura grounded a ball up the middle, but right to Bogaerts, who took it from his knees and crawled over to touch second base before throwing over to complete a double play.

”They made (big plays) tonight, and we didn’t,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. ”We had to somehow come up with a big hit and we just didn’t get it.”

The Mariners tied it at 1-all in the bottom of the fifth on Guillermo Heredia’s sacrifice fly to left field. Boston grabbed a 1-0 lead on Jackie Bradley Jr.’s RBI double off Hernandez (6-6) in the second.

MARINERS PROSPECT FINISHES COMEBACK

Nearly a year ago, Seattle right-handed pitcher Rob Whalen walked away from baseball.

After a July 5 start for Triple-A Tacoma, Whalen left the team, citing issues with depression. Placed on the team’s restricted list, he didn’t return the rest of the season.

However, after rediscovering joy in life, which included his passion for baseball, Whalen nearly made the big-league ballclub out of spring training.

”I just wanted to come in and have fun, enjoy life and what I get to do for a living Christian McCaffrey Jersey ,” Whalen said.

It showed his minor-league numbers. Whalen was 7-3 with a 4.50 ERA pitching for Tacoma, and was promoted Thursday by the Mariners to pitch in long relief.

BRADLEY SHOWING SIGNS

Boston’s Jackie Bradley Jr. came into the game in an 0-for-15 slump over his last four games, and just 1 for 23 over the previous week.

Cora said no hitter in the final two games at Baltimore hit the baseball harder than Bradley. He just did not have a hit to show for it. He did drive in the game’s first run Thursday with a sharp double to right field.

”We do feel now he is in a great spot,” Cora said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: 2B Dustin Pedroia (left knee inflammation) is still not doing any baseball activity, although he did work out in the visiting clubhouse gym Thursday. … LHP Drew Pomeranz (left biceps tendinitis) played catch and is feeling better, Cora said. … RHP Tyler Thornburg (right shoulder) was scheduled to make a start Thursday for Triple-A Pawtucket as he makes his way back from thoracic outlet surgery.

Mariners: RHP Nick Vincent (strained right groin) continues to play catch every day, as he did before the game Thursday. It is uncertain when he will get back on the mound for a bullpen session. Servais said he is hopeful Vincent and RHP Juan Nicasio (right knee) will be able to return from the 10-day disabled list early in the team’s upcoming road trip, starting Tuesday in New York.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: RHP Rick Porcello (8-3, 3.54 ERA), the 2016 AL Cy Young Award winner, has gone six innings and given up two earned runs in each of his past three starts (two wins). This will be his 13th career start against the Mariners, and he is 3-1 with a 2.22 ERA at Safeco Field.

Mariners: LHP James Paxton (6-1, 3.02 ERA) is 5-0 with a 1.87 ERA since early May. Paxton is 2-0 with a 0.39 ERA against Boston, having given up just one earned run in 23 innings. He beat the Red Sox last July with seven scoreless innings.

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