• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Pirates-Diamondbacks Preview

Jul 24, 2009 - 7:03 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Pittsburgh (42-53) at Arizona (41-55), 9:40 p.m. EDT

In his first three seasons, Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Yusmeiro Petit didn't finish July without earning his first win of the year.

Time is running out for Petit to continue that trend this season.

His latest attempt to earn an elusive first victory comes Friday night against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates in the second of a four-game series.

Petit (0-4, 7.15 ERA) earned his first major league victory with the Florida Marlins in his first career start on July 5, 2006, after making seven relief appearances. Following a trade to Arizona the next season, he won his first start after being recalled from the minors on July 3, and beat the Chicago Cubs on July 22 for his first victory last season.

A strained right shoulder cost Petit two months this season after he went 0-3 with a 7.54 ERA in his first five starts. Since returning July 4, he is 0-1 with a 5.65 ERA, including Sunday's hard-luck defeat in St. Louis.

Petit yielded only two runs and three hits over a season-high six innings in a 2-1 loss, but back-to-back walks in the fourth proved costly as Cardinals starter Joel Pineiro followed with a two-run double.

"I had to pay because I walked the two hitters before Pineiro," Petit told the Diamondbacks official Web site.

Petit, who has never started against the Pirates, will try to take advantage of a team that's loss eight of its last 10 at Chase Field dating back to 2006, including Thursday night's 11-4 defeat.

After his team faced an early three-run deficit, Diamondbacks' hot-hitting catcher Miguel Montero pushed across the go-ahead run in the seventh inning with an RBI double - his first hit in 17 career at-bats against Pittsburgh (42-53).

"He's picking us up at the right time," shortstop Stephen Drew said.

Since June 27, Montero has batted .395 with six homers and 16 RBIs for Arizona (41-55), and infielder Mark Reynolds, who had three hits Thursday, is 13 for 27 (.481) since the All-Star break.

They'll try to stay hot against another hard-luck starter, Pirates left-hander Zach Duke (8-9, 3.38).

Duke has dropped four consecutive starts and received a combined seven runs of support in those outings, including Sunday's 4-3 defeat to visiting San Francisco.

He's lost both career starts in Arizona and is 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA in four overall matchups against the Diamondbacks.

The Pirates will try to back their left-hander by adding to a power surge that's continued even after dealing away leading home run hitter Adam LaRoche.

Pittsburgh's 17 home runs since July 10 ties it with the Los Angeles Dodgers for most among major league teams in that span. The Pirates hit five Wednesday night after LaRoche was sent to Boston and Ryan Doumit hit a two-run shot Thursday.

Garrett Jones, who has recorded consecutive three-hit performances, has seven homers in his last 10 games and nine since being called up from Triple-A Indianapolis on June 30.