Pirates

Pirates Preview: Pérez Seeking Rebound Back at PNC Park

Published

8 months ago

May 21, 2024

The Pittsburgh Pirates enjoyed a day off on Monday after taking three our of four from the Chicago Cubs with a 3-2 victory at Wrigley Field on Sunday.

In the final meeting of the four-game set in Chicago, Mitch Keller tossed six more strong innings for the Pirates (22-26) and Nick Gonzales plated a pair of important runs with a base hit in the fifth inning.

After seven games on the road, the Pirates will return to PNC Park where they will welcome the San Francisco Giants (23-25) for the first of three games.

Tuesday’s game begins at 6:40 ET and the game will be aired on SportsNet Pittsburgh.

Weather

Hot and sunny. Temperatures in the mid-80s around first pitch. Winds south at 6-7 mph.

The Pittsburgh Pirates Will Send Out LHP Martín Pérez (1-3, 4.86 ERA)

Pérez was tattooed in his last start in the final game against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday.

The veteran left-hander surrendered a whopping five home runs and allowed nine runs on 11 total hits in five innings pitched.

Through three starts in the month of May, Pérez has given up 16 runs in 15.1 innings pitched (9.39 ERA) after posting a 2.86 ERA through the first month of the season.

He’ll look to get back on track against the Giants, a team he has fared well against. In three previous meetings, Pérez is 1-1 with a 2.33 ERA.

The San Francisco Giants Will Send Out RHP Logan Webb (4-4, 3.03 ERA)

As expected, last year’s Cy Young runner-up is off to another strong start this season.

The right-hander excels at preventing the long ball with only two home runs allowed through his first 10 starts. He induces ground balls 58% of the time, which is well above league-average.

In his last start against the Dodgers, Webb threw six-scoreless innings and got the win in the Giants’ 4-1 victory at Oracle Park.

Webb has pitched much better at home (2.59 ERA) than on the road (4.20 ERA) in his career. He’s 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA against the Pirates.

Giants Hitters vs. Pérez

Jorge Soler: 6 for 21, one double, one home run, three RBIs, three walks, three strikeouts
Matt Chapman: 7 for 20, three doubles, one RBI, one walk, six strikeouts
Curt Casali: 1 for 7, one RBI, two walks, one strikeout
Wilmer Flores: 2 for 6, one double, two RBIs
Ryan McKenna: 2 for 5, one home run, one RBI, one walk, three strikeouts
Thairo Estrada: 0 for 3, one strikeout

Pirates Hitters vs. Webb

Rowdy Tellez: 2 for 8, one double, one strikeout
Connor Joe: 2 for 6, one walk, one strikeout
Bryan Reynolds: 1 for 6, one walk, four strikeouts
Michael A. Taylor: 2 for 3, one strikeout
Oneil Cruz: 0 for 3, one strikeout

Tidbits

Mitch Keller has worked at least six innings in all three of his May starts and has posted a 1.29 ERA on the month. He’s lowered his season ERA from 5.18 to 3.84.
Jack Suwinski homered off of Jameson Taillon in Sunday’s game. Suwinski is now 5 for 6 with four home runs, five RBIs and two walks against the former Pirates’ pitcher.
The Pirates’ series win over the Cubs was just their second since their home opening series against the Orioles from Apr. 5-7. The Bucs took two of three from the Colorado Rockies last homestand.