Diamondbacks Avoid Cy Young Winner in Upcoming Tigers Series

The Arizona Diamondbacks continued their downward spiral with a series loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, in which they scored just one run over three games.

It's apparent that Deadline talk and pressure has gotten to Arizona, as they've lost five of six since opening the second half with a sweep of the Cardinals.

Players are already beginning to depart via trade.

Their opponents will only get tougher, as they now head to Detroit to face the 61-46 Tigers. Detroit has struggled of late, however, losing eight of their last 10 games post All-Star Break.

The Diamondbacks will, fortunately, miss left-handed ace and AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, but the Tigers' rotation still provides a challenge with a sixth-best 3.58 starter ERA.

Here are the expected pitching matchups for Arizona's final series before the Trade Deadline:

Arizona Diamondbacks vs Detroit Tigers Pitching Matchup

Monday, July 28: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (5.50 ERA) vs RHP Troy Melton (10.80 ERA)

Eduardo Rodriguez bounced back with an excellent start against the Houston Astros his last time out, living on soft contact for 6.1 scoreless innings.

Rodriguez is a former Tiger, pitching for Detroit in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. The latter of which saw him post a career-best 3.30 ERA before he eventually signed a four-year deal with the D-backs.

Rodriguez needs to continue an upward path after being blown up in back-to-back starts to open July. Another good start would be an encouraging sign.

Tigers' 24-year-old right-hander Troy Melton made his first major league start on July 23. He was roughed up for six runs in five innings, though he did record seven strikeouts.

Melton posted a 2.72 ERA in six Triple-A starts with a 13.87 strikeout per nine clip before getting the eventual call-up this season. He has plenty of swing-and-miss, and is looking for better results his second time on a major league mound.

Tuesday, July 29: RHP Brandon Pfaadt (4.76 ERA) vs (expected) RHP Casey Mize (3.40 ERA)

Brandon Pfaadt has begun to right the ship after back-to-back dismal months of starts in May and June. In four July starts, he's posted a 2.73 ERA and two Quality Starts.

He's looked much more in command of his arsenal and has worked his way out of traffic — a confidence boost that was much-needed. He has a 3.48 ERA in his last seven starts, and has his season ERA down below 5.00 for the first time since late May.

Righty Casey Mize is the probable starter for Detroit, though they may opt to push him back another day. He is, at least, confirmed to pitch in this series, however.

Mize was pushed back a bit from what would have been his usual rest due to knee soreness, but no severe issue was revealed.

Mize is in the midst of a brilliant 2025 season, but has been blown up in back-to-back recent starts. He's given up 10 earned runs on 16 hits in his last seven innings. Somehow, that's only ballooned his ERA to 3.40 — that's how good of a year the righty had been having prior.

Wednesday, July 29: RHP Ryne Nelson (3.29 ERA) vs TBD

Ryne Nelson continues his excellent season. The right-hander pitched yet another efficient outing on Friday, going six scoreless innings on 88 pitches, allowing only one base hit.

Nelson lowered his ERA to 3.29 in the process, and has recorded four Quality Starts in his last five outings. Nelson, along with veteran Merrill Kelly have been the most consistent positives in Arizona's rotation this season.

The Tigers have not announced a starter for Wednesday's game as of this writing.

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