Pirates Preview: When Will the Streak End?

Danny Demilio |

Jul 12, 2025

The Pittsburgh Pirates lost their seventh in a row when they were defeated 2-1 by the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Friday night.

Paul Skenes allowed two runs and struck out six in five innings but fell to 4-8 as the team’s offensive woes continue.

The Pirates (38-57) will look to avoid an eighth-straight loss on Saturday afternoon in the second game of their series with the Twins (46-48).

First pitch is set for 2:10 p.m. ET, and the game will be broadcast on SportsNet Pittsburgh and 93.7 The Fan.

Sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 70s. Winds WNW at 12 mph. Pretty good baseball weather, eh?

Burrows kept rolling in his last start against the Seattle Mariners on Saturday, when he threw five-scoreless innings and punched out six.

The rookie right-hander has allowed two runs or fewer in six of his last seven appearances since the start of June.

During that stretch, Burrows owns a 2.30 ERA, which ranks sixth in the National League and 11th in baseball among pitchers with 30-plus innings.

This will be his first time facing the Twins.

The Twins will deploy a bullpen game with Sands the first one to take the mound against the Pirates.

This will be the second time this season Sands is used as an opener. He worked a scoreless first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday.

The right-hander has logged 37 innings this season across 39 appearances and has allowed 37 hits, walked nine and struck out 29.

He’s made two relief appearances against the Pirates in his career and has pitched 1.1-scoreless innings.

Paul Skenes notched his 300th career strikeout in the fourth inning. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Skenes is the first Pirates pitcher and one of only 17 Major League pitchers all-time to to record at least 300 strikeouts in his first 43 big-league starts.
Paul Skenes has not gotten a win since May 28 against the Arizona Diamondbacks (winless in last 14 starts) despite a 1.84 ERA.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s RBI double in the loss was his first extra-base hit since a triple against the Brewers on June 23 and only his second XBH in his last 26 games.