Pirates

Pirates Preview: Bucs Head to Houston After Much-Needed Win

Published

8 months ago

July 29, 2024

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes delivers during the second inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Sunday, June 23, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

The Pittsburgh Pirates came from behind and held on in the 10th inning of a 6-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday to salvage the series.

Joey Bart tied the game in the top of the ninth and the Pirates scored four times in the 10th — two of which came on a Ke’Bryan Hayes single — to lift them over the Diamondbacks. Colin Holderman recorded the final out after an Arizona comeback attempt fell just short in the bottom of the inning.

Up next on the road trip, the Pirates (53-52) will head to Houston for the start of a three-game series against the Astros (55-50) on Monday night.

First pitch is set for 8:10 ET and the game will be aired on SportsNet Pittsburgh.

Weather

Minute Made Park has a retractable roof, so weather won’t factor into this series.

The Pittsburgh Pirates Will Send Out RHP Paul Skenes (6-1, 1.93)

Despite throwing a career-high 8.1 innings, Skenes suffered his first loss in his professional career in a 2-1 Pirates’ defeat at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Since making his MLB debut on May 11, no starting pitcher has a lower ERA than Skenes. In addition to leading in ERA, Skenes has the highest strikeout percentage (34.2%) and highest strikeout-to-walk percentage (29.6%).

Skenes has held opponents to a .195 batting average and a .554 OPS against through the first 12 starts of his career. He has yet to be charged with more than three earned runs in any start.

This will be the first time Skenes has faced the Astros. He’s gone 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in a pair of interleague starts.

The Houston Astros Will Send Out RHP Jake Bloss (0-1, 6.94)

Like Skenes, Bloss was a 2023 draft selection. The Astros took the right-hander in the third round out of Georgetown University.

The 23-year-old has made three starts so far in his career and has been knocked around. Opponents have posted a .314 batting average against him and have hit five home runs in 11.2 innings.

Prior to his promotion, Bloss pitched across three different levels in the minor leagues and combined to go 4-2 with a 1.64 ERA across 13 starts. He has a six-pitch mix with a four-seam fastball, slider, curveball, sweeper, changeup and sinker.

This will be his first time pitching against the Pirates.

Astros Hitters vs. Skenes

Pirates Hitters vs. Bloss

Tidbits

Entering play on Sunday, Ke’Bryan Hayes had two RBIs in 21 games in the month of July. He matched his monthly total with his two-run single in the 10th.
With Sunday’s win, the Pirates avoided a sweep and a five-game losing streak. They haven’t lost three games in a row since May 7-10.
Paul Skenes is the first pitcher in MLB history with seven-plus strikeouts in 11 of his first 12 career appearances.