Pirates

Pirates Preview: Bailey Falter Faces Former Team Looking for Repeat Success

Published

2 weeks ago

April 12, 2024

The Pittsburgh Pirates were defeated 5-1 by the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday in the opening game of a four-game series.

Rookie right-hander Jared Jones struck out eight batters and didn’t walk any but yielded a pair of home runs in 6.1 innings pitched. The Pirates’ offense scuffled and struck out 14 times.

The Pirates will look to even the series on Friday night with Bailey Falter on the mound, who will pitch against the team that drafted him.

Friday’s first pitch is set for 6:40 ET and the game will be televised on SportsNet Pittsburgh.

Weather

Rain throughout the day will give way to clear skies for gametime. Temperatures in the 50s. Winds WSW ranging from 10-17 mph.

The Pittsburgh Pirates Will Send Out LHP Bailey Falter (0-0, 5.40 ERA)

Falter is coming off of his best start since joining the Pirates when he faced the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday.

In that game, Falter carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning. His no-hit bid ended in heartbreaking fashion on a miscommunication in the outfield. The left-hander worked six shutout-innings and allowed just the one hit and walked one.

It was a bounce-back outing for Falter, who struggled in his 2024 debut against the Miami Marlins on Mar. 31. Miami tagged him for six runs in four innings pitched, but the Pirates won the game 9-7.

This will be his first time facing his former team.

The Philadelphia Phillies Will Send Out LHP Cristopher Sánchez (0-1, 4.82 ERA)

Sánchez pitched well in his season debut against the Cincinnati Reds on Apr. 1 but struggled in his second start against the Washington Nationals on Sunday.

Against the Reds, the left-hander struck out eight and allowed two runs in five innings pitched. The Nationals scored three runs on six hits and three walks in 4.1 innings.

Sánchez has struggled this season with efficiency, needing over 80 pitches to get through each of his outings.

Sánchez has made two appearances against the Pirates in his career — one as a starter and one in relief. He has not allowed a run against Pittsburgh and has yielded just one hit in seven innings pitched.

Phillies Hitters vs. Falter

Kyle Schwarber: 1 for 1

Pirates Hitters vs. Sánchez

Bryan Reynolds: 0 for 3, one strikeout
Michael A. Taylor: 2 for 2

Tidbits

Jared Jones has struck out at least seven batters in each of the first three appearances of his career. He joins José DeLeón (first five appearances) as the only Pirates’ pitchers since 1893 to do so.
Jones hasn’t issued a walk in his last 12.1 innings pitched, becoming the fourth Pirates’ pitcher since 1961 with a streak that long within his first three appearances.
Edward Olivares has had two hits in each of his last three games. He’s collected at least one hit in eight of the last nine games he’s played in this season.