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Diamondbacks' Ryne Nelson shuts down Pirates at Chase Field

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Diamondbacks' Ryne Nelson shuts down Pirates at Chase Field


PHOENIX — Arizona Diamondbacks starter Ryne Nelson made another pitch that he belongs in the starting rotation with 6.2 shutout innings on Monday in a 5-0 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Nelson played the role of stopper, as his performance was key to ending a five-game losing streak.

The Diamondbacks have five shutout wins this season, which have been started by four different pitchers (Corbin Burnes twice, Brandon Pfaadt, Merrill Kelly and now Nelson).

Nelson allowed four hits with no walks, striking out four batters as he consistently pounded the strike zone for quick outs. He threw 59 strikes out of 84 pitches, setting his season high for pitch count.

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“Fastball command was there, I feel like that’s where it always starts for me,” Nelson said. “I’m jumping ahead of guys. I feel like that opens up everything. Slider and curveball made a big step forward today, and the changeup, as well.

“Been working on the secondary stuff a lot in these bullpens I’ve had, so nice to have the week to get some quality work in on the secondary stuff.”

Dating back to July 2024, Nelson has made 15 starts with a 2.98 ERA as a starter. Through three starts this season, Nelson has tossed 16 innings with three earned runs.

The right-hander had to deal with some early tough luck on Monday, as Pirates lead-off man Oneil Cruz hit a weak chopper that hugged the third-base line for a double on the first pitch of the game. Nelson worked out of that jam, sitting down eight of the next nine batters with only a ground ball single mixed in.

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He worked through the fourth, fifth and sixth innings with only 29 combined pitches, striking out Cruz for a second time to end the fifth. He retired the final eight batters he faced.

Taking Ryne Nelson out of the rotation is a tough choice

Monday was Nelson’s second start since he took over a rotation spot with southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez hitting the 15-day injured list on May 15 (shoulder inflammation).

Nelson delivered five innings with one earned run at Dodger Stadium last week.

He opened the season in the bullpen as the odd man out in a crowded group of starting pitchers. The D-backs have kept him stretched out to a degree as a long man, allowing him to make starts when needed.

What happens to Nelson when Rodriguez returns will be cause for tough discussions.

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“Making it hard on them means I’m going out there and doing my job,” Nelson said. “That’s all I’m trying to do right now is prepare each week, take care of the body, make sure the arm stays healthy and go out there and get some outs.”

Manager Torey Lovullo said pregame that the idea of using the struggling Rodriguez (7.05 ERA) — an accomplished veteran in Year 2 of an $80 million contract and the lone lefty in the rotation — as a reliever has not come up behind closed doors.

Rodriguez threw three innings and 55 pitches in a simulated game over the weekend and will toss a bullpen on Tuesday. He is expected to need one more rehab outing, so Nelson is in line to make his next start on Sunday against the Washington Nationals.

What is clear is that Nelson is one of Arizona’s best five starting pitchers right now and has been since the middle of last year. He’s made it difficult to keep him out of the rotation before, notably last summer when the D-backs bumped $25-million-dollar Jordan Montgomery to the bullpen to keep Nelson starting.

“Nelly’s a very important piece of this team,” Lovullo said. “He will continue to be, no matter where he’s throwing.

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“ I like tough decisions. I love digging into coaches to give me reasons why we do things and how we’re doing them. I like when we’re challenged by players performing at a very good level when they’re doing their job. We should have those types of tough conversations.”

Diamondbacks out-slug Pirates

Arizona’s lineup gave Nelson early support, coming through with two runs in the second inning off Pirates lefty Andrew Heaney. Randal Grichuk singled and Gabriel Moreno doubled to start the frame, but the D-backs were already 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position in the first inning.

This time, the club executed, as Tim Tawa hit a sacrifice fly and Ketel Marte singled home Moreno.

Then the power came into play, as Eugenio Suarez hit a 433-foot solo shot in the third and Josh Naylor smacked a two-run homer in the fifth to take a 5-0 lead.

Moreno finished the game with three hits, while Marte and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. each collected a pair of knocks. The team went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

Contentious 8th inning

The eighth inning must have been stress-inducing for a fanbase that has watched Arizona’s bullpen struggle to hold seemingly safe leads before. The Pirates worked the bases loaded with no outs after a Suarez error and back-to-back walks from Scott McGough.

Justin Martinez entered for his second appearance since coming off the IL to face the jam, quite a test for the right-hander to jump back into another high-leverage situation.

Martinez struck out Bryan Reynolds on a nasty splitter, forced a pop-out and ended the inning with a fielder’s choice to keep the shutout intact.

“It was great to see that,” Lovullo said. “For me, that was a save.”

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Diamondbacks’ next game

The Diamondbacks (27-27) will play for a series win on Tuesday at 6:40 p.m. with Burnes on the mound. Pittsburgh (19-36) will start right-hander Mike Burrows, who has one MLB start to his name.

Pirates ace Paul Skenes will start on Wednesday against Zac Gallen.

Both games will air on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app. 

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Arizona grandma surprised with $500, GoFundMe after helping stranger

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Arizona grandma surprised with 0, GoFundMe after helping stranger


Valley social media influencer Jimmy Darts gave an Arizona grandma the surprise of a lifetime after helping him buy medicine at an Arizona Walmart. Eighty-six-year-old Connie didn’t hesitate to help, even though she’s struggling to afford food and rent. Darts surprised her with $500 on the spot and then set up a GoFundMe, where over 2,000 people have donated more than $58,000 to help turn her life around.



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Arizona AG sues Temu over alleged illegal data collection, false advertising

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Arizona AG sues Temu over alleged illegal data collection, false advertising


PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Arizona’s top prosecutor announced a lawsuit against a China-based online shopping giant Tuesday morning, alleging the platform steals customer data and misleads customers.

“We allege that Temu has repeatedly and willfully violated the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act and put the privacy of Arizonans, including minors, at extreme risk,” said Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes in a written statement. “Arizonans should be aware that behind Temu’s low prices and shiny advertising, there is real danger. The Temu app can infect users’ devices with malware to steal their private data while carefully hiding its tracks.”

The AG’s office said the complaint was filed in Maricopa County Superior Court on Monday. The state alleges that the Temu app is deliberately designed to “harvest sensitive user data without users’ knowledge or consent and to evade detection.”

In addition to the privacy risk allegations, the state claims the shopping giant is also engaging in deceptive and unfair trade practices, including the use of forced labor and false advertising.

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Specifically, the AG’s office shared examples of merchants selling counterfeit goods of iconic Arizona brands like those of sports teams and colleges, including the Arizona Cardinals, Fender Guitars, the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, and Northern Arizona University.

Some other complaints the state says it has seen include fake reviews, using payment information to order items not requested, bait-and-switch, and charging for goods not ordered or not delivered.

“I will not stand by while a Chinese company vacuums up reams of sensitive data from Arizonans’ phones and profits from deception and abuse,” added Mayes. “We are taking Temu to court to stop these practices, protect Arizonans’ privacy, and hold Temu fully accountable under Arizona law.”

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Arizona Cardinals Week 13 offensive snap counts, observations

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Arizona Cardinals Week 13 offensive snap counts, observations



A look at how the Cardinals split up their 61 offensive snaps against the Bucs.

In the Arizona Cardinals’ 20-17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, 17 players participated in at least one of the 61 offensive snaps.

Quarterback Jacoby Brissett, left tackle Paris Johnson Jr., left guard Evan Brown, center Hjalte Froholdt, right guard Isaiah Adams, right tackle Kelvin Beachum played every snap. Wide receiver Michael Wilson missed four, while tight end Trey McBride played all but seven.

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How was the playing time divided up? Below are individual snap counts for every player who got in the game offensively, grouped by position.

The first number after each name is snaps and the second is the percentage. Players in bold were starters.

Arizona Cardinals Week 13 offensive snap counts: Quarterbacks

  • Jacoby Brissett (61/100
  • Active, did not play: Kedon Slovis
  • Reserve/injured (eligible for return): Kyler Murray

It was the fourth 300-yard game (301) in Brissett’s seven starts, but the record is 0-4 in those games and 1-6 overall. He completed 29-of-40 passes with two touchdown passes and one interception for a 100.1 passer rating. The interception was a bad decision and behind wide receiver Michael Wilson to stop their first possession of the game on a play that began at the 20-yard line, but not in the red zone.

On third down, Brissett’s three completions on six attempts achieved first downs for a total of 39 yards. He was sacked once and threw incomplete twice in the fourth quarter on third-and-1 and third-and-2 and on third-and-3 from the Tampa Bay 25-yard line in the third quarter. He ran three times for 16 yards with a long of eight.

Brissett said after the game, “It’s just execution, man. In a lot of those critical plays, I got to play a lot better.”

Running backs

  • Michael Carter (32/52), Bam Knight (29/48)
  • Inactive: Emari Demercado (injured)
  • Active/did not play (except for special teams): Jermar Jefferson
  • Reserve/injured: Trey Benson (eligible to return/practicing), James Conner (eligible to return, but won’t)

It was one of the better outings of the season as Knight rushed 11 times for 62 yards (5.6 average) and contributed 36 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown, on three receptions. He ended up with 98 yards from scrimmage. However, there was a lost fumble on the first possession of the first half after he ran for 13 yards on the first play.

Carter had 17 yards on three carries and added five catches for 47 yards.

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Wide receivers

  • Michael Wilson (57/93), Marvin Harrison Jr. (37/61), Xavier Weaver (30/49), Greg Dortch (20/33)
  • Active/did not play (except for special teams): Andre Baccellia
  • Reserve/injured: Simi Fehoko (eligible to return), Zay Jones (eligible to return, but won’t)

Harrison returned after missing two games because of appendicitis and caught six of seven targets for 69 yards with a long of 21. He was on and off the field because of a heel injury. Wilson returned to earth with three receptions for 26 yards on seven targets. Dortch had two catches for 14 yards, while Weaver was targeted once, but it wasn’t caught.

Tight ends

  • Trey McBride (54/89), Elijah Higgins (25/41), Pharaoh Brown (7/11), Josiah Deguara (3/5)
  • Reserve/injured: Tip Reiman, Travis Vokolek (both eligible to return, but won’t)

The beat goes on for McBride, who caught eight of nine targets for 82 yards and a touchdown. He extended his streak of five-catch games to 14, the second-longest in history for a tight end. He’s one game behind Travis Kelce of the Chiefs. McBride entered the game tied with Jimmy Graham for the most receiving yards for a tight end (301) in their first four seasons. The only blemish was a missed block on a failed fourth-and-1 play from the Cardinals’ 39-yard line in the fourth quarter that led to a 57-yard Chase McLaughlin field goal.

Higgins had two receptions for 17 yards.

Offensive linemen

  • LT Paris Johnson Jr. (61/100), LG Evan Brown (61/100), C Hjalte Froholdt (61/100), RG Isaiah Adams (52/62), RT Kelvin Beachum (61/100), RT Josh Fryar (11/18)
  • Inactive: C/G Hayden Conner
  • Active/did not play: T Demontrey Jacobs
  • Active/did not play (except for special teams): C/G Jon Gaines II
  • Reserve/injured: RG Will Hernandez (eligible to return)T Christian Jones (eligible to return/practicing), RT Jonah Williams (eligible to return but won’t)
  • Reserve/injured: Valentin Senn

The five starters played every snap, including Adams who returned to the first group after Hernandez was placed on injured reserve Saturday. Conner was activated from IR Saturday, but was inactive for the game. The decision was made five days before the deadline in his 21-day practice window.

In the Arizona Cardinals’ 20=17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, 17 players participated in at least one of the 61 offensive snaps.

Quarterback Jacoby Brissett, left tackle Paris Johnson Jr., left guard Evan Brown, center Hjalte Froholdt, right guard Isaiah Adams, right tackle Kelvin Beachum played every snap. Wide receiver Michael Wilson missed four, while tight end Trey McBride played all but seven.

How was the playing time divided up? Below are individual snap counts for every player who got in the game offensively, grouped by position.

The first number after each name is snaps and the second is the percentage. Players in bold were starters.

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Arizona Cardinals Week 13 offensive snap counts:

Quarterbacks

Jacoby Brissett (61/100

Active, did not play: Kedon Slovis

Reserve/injured (eligible for return): Kyler Murray

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It was the fourth 300-yard game (301) in Brissett’s seven starts, but the record is 0-4 in those games and 1-6 overall. He completed 29 of 40 passes with two sacks and one interception for a 100.1 passer rating. The interception was a bad decision and behind wide receiver Michael Wilson to stop their first possession of the game on a play that began at the 20-yard line, but not in the red zone.

On third down, Brissett’s three completions on six attempts achieved first downs for a total of 39 yards. He was sacked once and threw incomplete twice in the fourth quarter on third-and-1 and third-and-2 and on third-and-3 from the Tampa Bay 25-yard line in the third quarter. He ran three times for 16 yards with a long of eight.

Brissett said after the game, “It’s just execution man. In a lot of those critical plays, I got to play a lot better.”

Running backs

Michael Carter (32/52), Bam Knight (29/48)

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Inactive: Emari Demercado (injured)

Active/did not play (except for special teams): Jermar Jefferson

Reserve/injured: Trey Benson (eligible to return/practicing), James Conner (eligible to return, but won’t)

It was one of the better outings of the season as Knight rushed 11 times for 62 yards (5.6 average) and contributed 36 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown, on three receptions. He ended up with 98 yards from scrimmage. However, there was a lost fumble on the first possession of the first half after he ran for 13 yards on the first play.

Carter had 17 yards on three carries and added five catches for 47 yards.

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Wide receivers

Michael Wilson (57/93), Marvin Harrison Jr. (37/61), Xavier Weaver (30/49), Greg Dortch (20/33)

Active/did not play (except for special teams): Andre Baccellia

Reserve/injured: Simi Fehoko (eligible to return), Zay Jones (eligible to return, but won’t)

Harrison returned after missing two games because of appendicitis and caught six of seven targets for 69 yards with a long of 21. He was on and off the field because of a heel injury. Wilson returned to earth with three receptions for 26 yards on seven targets. Dortch had two catches for 14 yards, while Wesaver was targeted once, but it wasn’t caught.

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Tight ends

Trey McBride (54/89), Elijah Higgins (25/41), Pharaoh Brown (7/11), Josiah Deguara (3/5)

Reserve/injured: Tip Reiman, Travis Vokolek (both eligible to return, but won’t)

The beat goes on for McBride, who caught eight of nine targets for 82 yards and a touchdown. He extended his streak of five-catch games to 14, the second-longest in history for a tight end. He’s one game behind Travis Kelce of the Chiefs. McBride entered the game tied with Jimmy Graham for the most receiving yards for a tight end (301) in their first four seasons. The only blemish was a missed block on a failed fourth-and-1 play from the Cardinals 39-yard line in the fourth quarter that led to a 57-yard Chase McLaughlin field goal.

Higgins had two receptions for 17 yards.

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Offensive linemen

LT Paris Johnson Jr. (61/100), LG Evan Brown (61/100), C Hjalte Froholdt (61/100), RG Isaiah Adams (52/62), RT Kelvin Beachum (61/100), RT Josh Fryar (11/18)

Inactive: C/G Hayden Conner

Active/did not play: T Demontrey Jacobs

Active/did not play (except for special teams): C/G Jon Gaines II

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Reserve/injured: RG Will Hernandez (eligible to return)T Christian Jones (eligible to return/practicing), RT Jonah Williams (eligible to return but won’t)

Reserve/injured: Valentin Senn

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.



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