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Apr 23, 2016 - 6:53 AM The Pittsburgh Pirates continue to put runners on base at an impressive rate, and now they're driving them in.

That could spell more trouble for the struggling Rubby De La Rosa, who'll attempt to get himself and the Arizona Diamondbacks back on track in Saturday night's matchup with hot-swinging Pittsburgh.

Leading the majors with a .295 average and a .382 OBP, the Pirates have scored 19 runs over two consecutive wins. They're 11 for 20 with runners in scoring position during the streak, an improvement over their 4-for-23 effort in losing two straight in San Diego to begin this 10-game western trip.

Pittsburgh (9-8) also ended a power drought in opening this three-game series with an 8-7 victory, getting home runs from Jordy Mercer, Sean Rodriguez and Gregory Polanco off Patrick Corbin. The Pirates had homered just seven times over the season's first 16 games.

Mercer and Josh Harrison each went 3 for 4 with an RBI and two runs scored to lead Friday's 13-hit attack. Mercer is 10 for 20 with six RBIs over his last six games and Harrison is hitting .458 with six RBIs over that stretch.

John Jaso, who sat out the opener against the lefty Corbin, is batting .429 during a career-high 11-game hitting streak.

All present a challenge for De La Rosa (1-3, 8.44 ERA), who returns to the rotation after forced into two extra-inning relief appearances. He allowed a two-run homer in the 14th of last Saturday's 5-3 loss at San Diego and threw a scoreless 10th to earn the win Monday at San Francisco.

A return home also may not bode well, as De La Rosa sports a 14.18 ERA in losing his last four Chase Field starts dating back to August. He was tagged for seven runs in 3 1/3 innings of a 14-6 loss to the Cubs on April 7.

De La Rosa did hold the Pirates to a run and four hits while striking out eight in a seven-inning no-decision in Arizona on April 25, 2015.

Arizona (9-9) fell to 2-6 at home in its first game back from a 7-3 trip capped with five consecutive wins. It held San Francisco to three runs over the final three victories, a trend Corbin couldn't maintain by permitting five runs in six innings.

''A couple of mistakes early,'' Corbin said, ''and in this ballpark if you make mistakes early they are going to go a long way."

Welington Castillo did continue his current tear by hitting two solo homers, giving him five in six games.

Castillo is 1 for 9 against Juan Nicasio (2-1, 4.80), still looking to reprise an outstanding Pirates' debut in which he limited St. Louis to two hits in six innings of a 5-1 win April 6. The offseason addition has allowed seven runs and walked seven in nine innings in two starts since.

Nicasio was mostly sharp in Sunday's six-inning stint against Milwaukee, retiring the first nine hitters and recovering from a three-run fourth in a 9-3 win.

''I kind of fell out of my zone and felt a little bit drained,'' Nicasio said through an interpreter about the fourth inning. ''When I went back out there for the fifth inning I was able to put my team out front.''

Nicasio made seven starts against Arizona with Colorado from 2012-14, compiling a 2-2 record and 7.18 ERA.

Pittsburgh swept a three-game set at Chase Field last April and is 10-3 in its last 13 visits.






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