Ryne Nelson Can Deliver D-backs Series Win over White Sox

The Arizona Diamondbacks will have a shot at a series win in the south side of Chicago on Tuesday, after taking a dominant 10-0 victory in game one. First pitch is scheduled for 4:40 p.m. Arizona time.

The D-backs are 40-38, while the White Sox are 25-54. Arizona, facing a softer stretch of the schedule, can begin stacking series wins after taking two of three in Colorado.

Diamondbacks vs White Sox Pitching Matchup

RHP Ryne Nelson (3.88 ERA) vs RHP Jordan Leasure (4.23 ERA)

Right-hander Ryne Nelson has been a godsend to this beleaguered Diamondbacks' pitching staff. His 3.88 ERA is backed by a 3.75 FIP, and he's allowed only one run in both of his previous two starts.

Nelson was brilliant his last time out, throwing 5.2 innings and allowing only one hit — a solo home run. He's been limited to under 90 pitches per outing, given that he began the year in a relief role.

Nelson's trademark fastball has been his best weapon, unsurprisingly. It's been worth an immense +11 Run Value per Statcast, climbing up to 97 MPH at full power.

Considering lefty Eduardo Rodríguez's success with pounding the zone early, Nelson could see even more success if he takes a similar approach. There is, of course, the chance Chicago will be sitting on the pitch. Even the weakest of lineups can force a pitcher to respect them.

The White Sox will turn to right-hander Jordan Leasure, likely serving as an opener. Leasure has a 4.23 ERA over 32 relief appearances. He throws an upper-90s four-seam, a slider and a splitter. His results have not matched his underlying metrics as he has a 3.48 expected ERA, and has excellent whiff (30.8%) and strikeout (27.2%) rates.

After Leasure, the bulk is expected to be covered by 25-year-old right-hander Sean Burke. Burke has pitched to 4.50 ERA this season after making three excellent starts for Chicago in 2024 in his first taste of the majors.

Burke relies on a mid-90s four-seam primarily, with a slider and curve as his main put-away pitches. He also throws a sinker and occasional changeup.

Burke has not been able to collect much in the strikeout department, but has been decent at limiting hard contact. His breaking pitches are the ones to tee off against, as they've been worth -5 Run Value.

Diamondbacks vs White Sox Lineups

Check back later for lineups.

The Diamondbacks received bad news on the results of Corbin Carroll's imaging. The star outfielder has a chip fracture in his left wrist, and is expected to go on the Injured List. There is no timeline for Carroll's recovery as of now.

Eugenio Suárez and Josh Naylor both exited Monday's game as well. Both are day-to-day and are not expected to go on the IL as of this writing, though that could change.

Diamondbacks vs White Sox Bullpens

Thanks to Rodríguez's strong six innings and Anthony DeSclafani's three scoreless innings of relief, manager Torey Lovullo will have all his leverage options available. The Diamondbacks' struggling bullpen needs as much length as possible out of Nelson, however.

The White Sox used three relievers Monday after starter Sean Burke was only able to complete two innings. Dan Altavilla, Former Diamondback Tyler Gilbert and Wikelman Gonzales each threw two innings before infielder Vinny Capra finished the game. Chicago did not use any of their leverage arms.

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