Diamondbacks series preview: Everything is awesome!.. Away from Phoenix

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Apr 28, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Rubby De La Rosa (12) pitches during the sixth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /

Pitching matchups

Game 1: LHP Patrick Corbin (1-3, 4.88 ERA) vs. LHP Justin Nicolino (1-0, 0.00 ERA)

Game 2: RHP Rubby De La Rosa (3-3, 4.18 ERA) vs. RHP Jose Fernandez (2-2, 4.08 ERA)

Game 3: LHP Robbie Ray (1-1, 4.97 ERA) vs. LHP Adam Conley (1-1, 3.67 ERA)

Corbin uncharacteristically struggled with his command in his last start against the Cardinal.s walking five in 5.2 innings. The 2013 All-Star owns the fourth-best strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.55) in franchise history. Corbin made his MLB debut on April 30, 2012 against the Fish winning 9-5 at Marlins Park, allowing three earned runs in 5.2 innings pitched.

Seven of the 17 earned runs Corbin has allowed this year have come via the long ball. Corbin owns a 3.11 ERA in his last nine road starts dating back to July 29th.

Nicolino tossed 7.1 innings of shutout baseball in his first start of 2016, picking up the win. Nicolino is using more curveballs and changeups, and less cutters this year. The 24-year-old lefty made 12 starts last season going 5-4 with a 4.01 ERA. He has never faced the Diamondbacks.

De La Rosa has been the D-backs’ “ace” over his last two starts, allowing just one run and five hits, with 16 strikeouts. Last time out against the Cardinals, Rubby struck out a career high 10 batters, consistently getting ahead in the count with his fastball, attacking hitters, and using his slider as a put away pitch.

Fernandez wasn’t at his best in the month of April despite striking out 40 in 22.2 innings. He has really struggled in the first inning of games, where he has allowed five runs and nine hits. His 12.56 K/9 is first in the majors ahead of Noah Syndergaard (12.25).

Ray has struggled in his last two starts, allowing five earned runs in each outing, and his problems with pitch efficiency have continued. He has a 27/15 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and of the 465 pitches that he has thrown, only 58.7% have been strikes, throwing 18.4 P/IP, and 3.94 P/PA.

Conley had a no-hitter going in his start against the Brewers, but he departed after 7.2 innings throwing 116 pitches. He throws a sinking fastball that sits at 92-93 mph topping out at 95, a changeup that generates above average whiff and misses and a lot of groundballs, and a slider that has 12-6 movement and generates above average whiffs and misses.