Pirates Preview: Detroit Tigers Come to Town on Deadline Day

The Pittsburgh Pirates (47-58) won in dramatic fashion on Sunday afternoon to take two out of three games from the Philadelphia Phillies.

In Sunday’s game, Josh Palacios hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Pirates a win on what was Palacios’ 28th birthday.

The Pirates now will host the Detroit Tigers (47-59) for a brief two-game series beginning on Tuesday night.

Tuesday also marks MLB’s trade deadline, so any trades the Pirates plan on making will have to come before 6 PM ET rolls around.

First pitch at PNC Park is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. The game will be aired on AT&T SportsNet.

Weather

Beautiful baseball weather on deck with sunny skies and a temperature of 75 degrees for first pitch. Winds NNW at 5-10 mph.

The Pirates will send out RHP Johan Oviedo (4-11, 4.60 ERA)

Oviedo earned his first win since May 19 his last time out after holding the San Diego Padres to one run across 6.0 innings pitched at Petco Park.

It was just over a year ago that the Pirates acquired Oviedo in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals leading up to last year’s trade deadline.

Since joining the Pirates, Oviedo is 6-13 with a 4.32 ERA (102 ERA+) across 28 starts.

Oviedo has faced the Tigers one time in his career. It came on June 22, 2021 while with the Cardinals. In that game, the right-hander allowed six runs (two earned) in 3.2 innings pitched.

The Tigers will send out RHP Matt Manning (3-2, 4.32 ERA)

Manning was the ninth-overall pick in the 2016 MLB draft by the Tigers out of Sheldon High School in California.

In his last time out, the 6-foot-6 right-hander allowed three home runs and was tagged for seven earned runs in 5.0 innings against the Anaheim Angels.

Manning has once previously faced the Pirates and allowed one run on four hits in 3.0 innings.

In interleague play for his career, Manning is undefeated with a 4-0 record and has a 2.60 ERA in six starts vs. the National League.

Tigers Hitters vs. Oviedo

• Javier Baez: 3 for 10, three strikeouts
• Zack McKinstry: 0 for 3, two strikeouts

Pirates Hitters vs. Manning

• Austin Hedges: 3 for 4, one home run, two RBIs
• Ji-Man Choi, 0 for 3, two strikeouts

Tidbits

• Palacios became the first Pirates’ player in franchise history to hit a walk-off home run on their birthday and is only the sixth player since 1979 to do so
• Each of Bryan Reynolds’ last five home runs have either tied the game or given the Pirates the lead
• Though Oviedo had a 6.28 ERA in the month of July, he owns a 3.71 ERA (7er/17.0ip) over his last three starts

Links

Pirates GM Ben Cherington Gives Contreras Update

Potanko: Alika Williams Just What the Defense Doctor Ordered

‘Young Bucs’ Show Glimpse of Hopeful Future (+)

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