D-backs' Ray shuts out Pirates

(TSX / STATS) -- PITTSBURGH -- Approaching the visitors' clubhouse at PNC Park on Tuesday, Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Robbie Ray rolled his eyes and shook his head as if he could barely believe what just happened.

Ray has been pitching in the major leagues since 2014. He expects success, although until this season, it has been erratic. But this was big, his first complete game and his first shutout, a 3-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

"Anytime you throw a complete-game shutout, and being my first time, obviously there's that wow factor of, 'Man, that just happened,'" he said.

It really did, taking a lightning-fast 2 hours, 10 minutes. For the Pirates, that was plenty long enough.

"That guy, Ray, was really, really good tonight, and quick," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said.

Working fast has been the key lately for Ray (5-3), who struck out 10 and walked none, yielding four hits. He extended his scoreless streak to 24 2/3 innings.

"The biggest thing for me is picking up the pace a little bit," said Ray, who started the season with a 14-31 record but has now won three straight decisions for the first time in his career. "Get the ball back, get on the rubber, get the sign and go. I've said before, sometimes you can have too much time out there, thinking."

Ray threw 118 pitches. Manager Torey Lovullo said he had Ray on a short leash entering the ninth inning, but "he finished the game the way you're supposed to."

Like everything else, quickly.

"He said he felt great, and he was a man of his word today," Lovullo said. "He's locked in. Every player, whether you're a position player or a pitcher, you just want to keep it going as long as you possibly can, and he deserves so much credit for making that happen."

One Pirates runner got as far as third base. Josh Harrison doubled leading off the fourth when center fielder Rey Fuentes misjudged a short fly ball, and he advanced on Josh Bell's groundout.

Harrison remained at third as Ray struck out David Freese and Francisco Cervelli.

"His precision was pretty danged good today," Arizona catcher Chris Herrmann said. "His fastball command is great and he's landing those curveballs for strikes as well.

"For the most part, I felt like any batter coming up today was gonna be an automatic out."

Pirates right-hander Ivan Nova outpitched Ray early, retiring the first 12 batters before Jake Lamb singled leading off the fifth inning. The D-backs broke through in the sixth on Chris Owings' RBI double and added two more in the seventh. Brandon Drury drove in a run on an infield hit, and Fuentes had an RBI groundout.

The hard-luck Nova (5-4) worked seven innings, allowing all three runs and six hits. He struck out three and walked one.

NOTES: The Pirates placed backup C Chris Stewart on the 10-day disabled list with a left hamstring strain and recalled C Elias Diaz from Triple-A Indianapolis. Diaz was hitting .281 at Indianapolis with two home runs and 18 RBIs. He also went 2-for-9 with a double and two walks in four games with the Pirates earlier this month. ... Pirates manager Clint Hurdle kept UT Adam Frazier out of the starting lineup for a second straight game for rest purposes. Frazier singled as a pinch hitter. ... Pirates RHP Ivan Nova's sixth-inning single broke an 0-for-28 streak. ... With two hits, Arizona 3B Jake Lamb is hitting .343 with seven homers and 20 RBIs in his past 17 games.