Brandon Pfaadt makes triumphant return to Diamondbacks
Brandon Pfaadt returned to the major leagues after spending time in the minor leagues and got the win over the Giants on June 30, 2026.
The Diamondbacks’ schedule leading up to the trade deadline includes 23 games against teams with a .500 record or better. But the toughest part of that stretch might be that it features only one more against the San Francisco Giants.
The Diamondbacks continued their destruction of the Giants on Tuesday night, June 30, with an 8-2 victory at Chase Field, their eighth win against them in as many games this season.
Ketel Marte moved into second place on the Diamondbacks’ all-time hits list and tied a club record by homering for the fourth consecutive game.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s bat showed signs of life with a home run and a double, Brandon Pfaadt took a shutout into the sixth inning in his first start since April and the Diamondbacks moved back above .500 at 43-42.
It was one of the rare nights in the past five weeks on which nearly everything went right for the Diamondbacks.
“We did our job exactly the way we’ve been trying for the past couple of months,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “I know it’s been a little bit of a grind, but these boys are getting after it. They’re working hard. It was just nice to see us play the type of game that we did.”
The win was the Diamondbacks’ second in as many nights against the Giants. They will look to sweep them for the third time this season in their series finale on Wednesday, July 1. They still have four games remaining against the Giants in late August, but they might want to see if they can petition the league office to have more added to the schedule.
“It happens,” Lovullo said of his team’s dominance. “There’s no explanation for it. I don’t know why it’s happened. We just line up good with their pitching? I don’t know exactly what it is. But we play good baseball against them and that’s why we’re winning games.”
It helps that the Giants, who fell to 35-50, are not very good. The Diamondbacks, of course, deserve credit for winning those games — for taking care of business, as they say — but they might want to work in a few more wins against better opponents. They enter Wednesday just 14-32 against teams that are .500 or better, tying them with the Colorado Rockies for the fewest wins in the majors.
There were a handful of encouraging developments on Tuesday night.
Gurriel blasted a three-run homer in the first inning off erratic Giants right-hander Landen Roupp — the Diamondbacks scored three more off Roupp in the third, chasing him from the game after 84 pitches — and laced a hard liner for a double in the seventh. A night earlier, Gurriel lined out to center and doubled into the left-field corner. Taken together, Lovullo saw it as an indication that his slumping hitter might be heating up.
“That takes a little time for some guys who miss that much time,” Lovullo said. “It’s a matter of time for him, in my opinion. He looks real good right now.”
Then there was Pfaadt, who gave up three hits, walked one and struck out two in 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball. It was a strong return to the majors after spending the previous few weeks in Triple-A Reno, transitioning back into the rotation.
Pfaadt elicited only two whiffs but mostly stayed off the barrel and — in contrast to Roupp — pumped strikes, finding the zone on 42 of his 66 pitches.
It was the culmination of a circuitous return to the majors. Last week, Pfaadt flew from Reno to Tampa — he had to connect in San Francisco, of all places — in anticipation of a start against the Rays. But shortly after checking into his hotel, he got a call from general manager Mike Hazen, who told him that the rainout in St. Louis meant a change of plans. He should return to Phoenix, he was told.
“That was a crazy 24 hours,” Pfaadt said. “But it is what it is and I’m grateful for the opportunity to start again.”
Pfaadt, who bounced between the rotation and the bullpen before getting sent to the minors in early June, said the focus was on getting back to being “relentless in the strike zone.”
“Just leaning into my strengths,” he said. “Getting ahead and being the aggressor. That’s my strength. That’s what got me to the big leagues. I think getting back to that is going to go a long way and hopefully something I never lose again.”
Marte reached a milestone with his two-run single in the third, a hit that moved him past Paul Goldschmidt on the club’s all-time hits list. With 1,183, he trails only Luis Gonzalez (1,337) in franchise history.
“It’s something big for me to reach a milestone like this in my career,” Marte said. “It feels good, and a lot more things are to come for me.”
Marte was asked about his relationship with Goldschmidt, his teammate for two years near the beginning of his career.
“Good,” he said. “Even up to now he treats me well. You know, he’s kind of like me. Doesn’t say much. I think he was a good teammate with me.”
Marte hit a solo homer in the sixth, becoming the sixth player in team history to go deep in four consecutive games. The others were Eduardo Escobar (2021), Mark Trumbo (2014), Mark Reynolds (2009), Troy Glaus (twice in 2005) and Reggie Sanders (2001).
The Diamondbacks’ Corbin Carroll appeared to be in discomfort at various points during at-bats and while running the bases, but Lovullo said his right fielder is fine.
“I think he hit a ground ball and came out of the box and twisted his ankle,” Lovullo said. “He had to jog to first base and hit first base. He’s OK. He’s doing OK. I think there was a right shoulder scare there for a second. You might be talking about that on one of the swings. He was kind of working his shoulder a little bit.
“But everything is fine. The last thing I do before I come in here is get an update on the medical and everybody is fine.”
Lovullo said Carroll is expected to be in the starting lineup on Wednesday.
—Nick Piecoro
Michael Soroka trending toward speedy return
Diamondbacks right-handed pitcher Michael Soroka has been on the 15-day injured list with a strained left glute for 10 days, as of Tuesday, June 30. It appears he’s moving toward a return that could happen before the All-Star break.
Soroka threw a bullpen session on Tuesday, and results are expected Wednesday. Manager Torey Lovullo said the club feels it could be a fast turnaround for Soroka to be able to rejoin the starting rotation.
“As long as he keeps progressing the way that he has been, and the glute situation has been minimized,” Lovullo said. “That’s a very, very encouraging sign.”
Soroka’s next bullpen session could be Friday or Saturday. He has had a good 2026 season for the Diamondbacks, with an 8-3 record and a 3.07 earned run average while leading the team in strikeouts with 79.
Catcher James McCann took some live at-bats in a game situation on Tuesday, and could report to a Diamondbacks minor league affiliate soon to play games, Lovullo said. That location could be Triple-A Reno, where McCann is set to play at the end of this week.
—Jose M. Romero
Coming up
Wednesday, July 1: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (3-7, 6.15) vs. Giants RHP Trevor McDonald (2-6, 4.94).
Thursday, July 2: Off day.
Friday, July 3: At Chase Field, 6:45 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Jose Cabrera (0-1, 3.60) vs. Brewers LHP Kyle Harrison (8-1, 2.57).
Saturday, July 4: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Merrill Kelly (5-8, 5.84) vs. Brewers RHP Brandon Woodruff (2-1, 2.59).
Sunday, July 5: At Chase Field, 1 p.m., Diamondbacks LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (7-2, 2.21) vs. Brewers TBD.
(This story has been updated to add information.)
