Pirates

Pirates Preview: Bucs Look to Break Out Brooms for First Time This Season

Published

4 weeks ago

April 24, 2025

Photo provided by Matt Lynch

The Pittsburgh Pirates blanked the Los Angeles Angels 3-0 on Wednesday night to earn at least a series win at Angel Stadium.

Andrew Heaney allowed one base runner in 6.0 innings and Oneil Cruz hit a 463-foot home run in the win.

The Pirates (10-15) will go for their first series sweep in 2025 in the series finale against the Angels (11-12) on Thursday night.

First pitch is set for 9:29 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh, MLB Network and 93.7 The Fan.

Weather

Mix of clouds and sunshine with temperatures in the lower-60s. Winds SW at 6-8 mph.

RHP Carmen Mlodzinski (1-3, 7.41 ERA) Will Start for the Pirates

Mlodzinski will make his fifth start of the season and will look for better results after struggling in three of his first four outings.

In his last time out against the Guardians, Mlodzinski was tagged for five runs on nine hits in 4.0 innings and didn’t strike out a batter.

So far this season, opponents are slashing .351/.415/.486 against the converted reliever.

Mlodzinski made one previous relief appearance against the Angeles and struck out three without allowing a run in 1.2 innings.

LHP Tyler Anderson (2-0, 2.08 ERA) vs. Will Start for the Angels

Anderson, who made 18 starts for the Pirates in 2021, is off to a good start in his third season with the Angels.

The left-hander hasn’t allowed a run over his last two starts — a span of 11.2 innings — and has allowed only four hits with 12 strikeouts during that span.

Opponents are hitting just .149 against Anderson this season, though walks have been an issue. In 21.2 innings, he’s walked 12.

Anderson has faced the Pirates twice and is 1-1 with a 5.84 ERA.

Angels Hitters vs. Mlodzinski

Travis d’Arnaud: 1 for 2, one double
Jorge Soler: 1 for 2, one RBI

Pirates Hitters vs. Anderson

Tommy Pham: 2 for 12, one double, two RBI, two walks, one strikeout
Isiah Kiner-Falefa: 3 for 10, one double, one strikeout
Joey Bart: 2 for 10, one home run, two RBI, four strikeouts
Andrew McCutchen: 2 for 8, one double, two walks, four strikeouts
Bryan Reynolds: 4 for 6, one double, one home run, one RBI, one strikeout
Jared Triolo: 0 for 5, one walk
Oneil Cruz: 1 for 3
Henry Davis: 1 for 3, one double

Tidbits

Andrew Heaney struck out the first six batters he faced on Wednesday. He became the second Pirates’ pitcher in the expansion era (since 1961) to strike out the first six-plus batters to start a game. Paul Skenes struck out seven Cubs in a row last year on May 17.
Oneil Cruz’s 463-foot home run is the second-longest of his career and the fourth-longest in MLB this season. Cruz hit a 472-foot home run last year in Arizona.
Carmen Mlodzinski has a 0.00 ERA through the first two innings this season. He has a 14.00 ERA (14er/9.0ip) in innings three through five.