Sunday was not Ryne Nelson’s day.
After back-to-back wins over the Toronto Blue Jays, the Arizona Diamondbacks had their targets set on a potential sweep Sunday afternoon, with — arguably — their best pitcher on the mound in Ryne Nelson.
But Nelson would only record one out before he was pulled — with eight hits and eight runs in the box score against him. Nelson was yanked after 30 pitches, his lone out being a strikeout of Blue Jays nine-hitter Brandon Valenzuela.
Nelson was replaced by right-hander Andrew Hoffmann, who finished the first inning and threw a scoreless second inning.
Diamondbacks’ Ryne Nelson suffers ugly blowout vs Blue Jays
Apr 2, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Ryne Nelson (19) throws during the first inning at Chase Field against the Atlanta Braves. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images | Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images
Nelson came into Sunday’s game with a 3.54 ERA, following two excellent performances against the Orioles and Mets. After a shaky start, Nelson had appeared to settle back into his dominant form, pumping his four-seam fastball for whiffs and outs.
But the Blue Jays — an aggressive, strike-hunting team — seemed to have his number. They recorded five singles, three doubles and one base on balls against Arizona’s right-hander, jumping on early pitches that would have normally landed for strikes.
Nelson’s ERA has, as a result, shot all the way up to 6.97. This type of outing can sometimes skew even season-long results.
Nelson’s one out did lift his poor start ever so slightly above fellow righty Brandon Pfaadt, who was charged with eight earned runs without managing to record a single out in a start on May 31 of 2025 against the Washington Nationals — though Pfaadt only allowed six hits in that start.
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