Pirates Preview: Battle of Rookie Right-Handers

The Pittsburgh Pirates fell 8-3 in the opening game of a three-game set with the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark on Friday night.

Mitch Keller matched a career-high by allowing eight runs as his second-half struggles continued. Oneil Cruz belted his 20th homer of the season in the loss, joining the 20/20 club in the process.

The Pirates (72-82) will look to rebound on Saturday afternoon against the Reds (75-80) in a pitching matchup that features a pair of highly-touted rookies.

First pitch is set for 1:10 ET and the game will be aired on SportsNet Pittsburgh.

Weather

Partly sunny skies with temperatures in the upper-90s. Winds WNW at 5-6 mph.

The Pittsburgh Pirates Will Send Out RHP Jared Jones (6-7, 3.85 ERA)

Jones struggled with efficiency in his last start against the Kanas City Royals when he allowed two runs after throwing 97 pitches in four innings.

It hasn’t been smooth sailing for Jones since he returned from the injured list at the end of August. In four starts, he has a 5.06 ERA (12er/21.1ip).

Jones is tied for sixth among qualified rookie starters with 120 strikeouts and is eighth with a 3.85 ERA.

This will be his first time facing the Reds, the lone divisional opponent he hasn’t pitched against.

The Cincinnati Will Send Out RHP Rhett Lowder (1-2, 1.74 ERA)

Lowder was selected seventh overall by the Reds out of Wake Forest in last year’s draft and is off to a strong start in his brief big-league career.

After breezing through three different minor-league levels this year, Lowder has held opponents to a .227 batting average and a .563 OPS in addition to his sparkling ERA.

The 22-year-old has a four-pitch mix consisting of a four-seamer, slider, sinker and changeup.

This will be his first time pitching against the Pirates.

Reds Hitters vs. Jones

• N/A

Pirates Hitters vs. Lowder

• N/A

Tidbits

• With Friday’s loss, the Pirates clinched their 28th losing season in the last 32 years and their sixth in a row.
• Oneil Cruz became the 10th Pirates’ player in team history to join the 20/20 club and the first since Starling Marte in 2019.
• Nick Gonzales went 1 for 4 and extended his on-base streak to a career-high 11 games.

Links

Pirates Minor League Report: Endy Rodríguez Leaves Early

Pirates Clinch 28th Losing Season in Last 32 Years With Loss to Reds

Perrotto: Latter Days of Season Meaningful to Pirates Rookie Billy Cook

Pirates Minor League Report: Triple-A’s Poor Depth On Display

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