Pirates

Pirates Preview: Bucs Make Short Trip for Weekend Series in Cleveland

Published

1 month ago

August 30, 2024

The Pittsburgh Pirates suffered perhaps their worst loss of the season on Wednesday afternoon in a 14-10 defeat at the hands of the Chicago Cubs.

The Bucs had a commanding seven-run lead at the start of the seventh inning but the bullpen allowed 11 unanswered runs in a gut-wrenching loss.

After a day off, the Pirates (62-71) will head to Cleveland to face the first-place Guardians (76-58) for three games beginning on Friday night.

First pitch is set for 7:10 ET and the game will be aired on SportsNet Pittsburgh.

Weather

Mix of sun and clouds with temperatures in the upper-80s. Winds S at 8-9 mph.

The Pittsburgh Pirates Will Send Out LHP Bailey Falter (6-7, 4.25 ERA)

Falter struggled in his last start on Friday against the Reds. The left-hander allowed five runs across five innings pitched and took a no decision in a Pirates’ win.

Falter has not taken a loss since July 6 and is 2-0 with a 4.91 ERA/3.40 FIP in five starts over that stretch. He’s excelled at limiting both the long ball (two HRs in 22 innings) and walks (five).

His fastball grades as one of the better ones in baseball this season — largely do to his 98th-percentile extension — and he throws the pitch 50% of the time. Fastball command will be the key for Falter.

This will be Falter’s first time facing Cleveland.

The Cleveland Guardians Will Send Out RHP Ben Lively (11-8, 3.62 ERA)

After posting a 5.05 ERA through the first four seasons of his career, Lively has emerged as a key piece of the Guardians’ rotation in his first season with Cleveland.

The right-hander enters Friday’s outing having thrown back-to-back quality starts and has only allowed more than three runs in a start three times this season.

Lively will keep hitters on their toes with a six-pitch mix. He throws a four-seamer, sinker, sweeper, changeup, curveball and slider.

In three previous appearances against the Pirates, Lively is 0-2 with a 3.38 ERA.

Guardians Hitters vs. Falter

Lane Thomas: 0 for 8, one walk, two strikeouts

Pirates Hitters vs. Lively

Isiah Kiner-Falefa: 1 for 4, one home run, one RBI, two strikeouts
Rowdy Tellez: 1 for 3, one strikeout

Tidbits

Prior to Wednesday’s loss, teams were a combined 1,192-0 when they were up seven-plus runs in the seventh inning or later over the last seven seasons. (h/t Jay Cuda on Twitter/X)
David Bednar blew his sixth save of the season on Wednesday. Since the All-Star break, the Pirates’ closer has a 9.20 ERA with 21 hits against, three homers allowed and 11 walks in 14.2 innings.
Oneil Cruz had two hits in the loss. He’s reached base safely in 20-straight games and extended his hitting streak to nine.