The Pittsburgh Pirates are closing things out in their three-game weekend series against the Miami Marlins with an earlier start for the nationally-televised contest.
The Pirates will put their ace on the mound in Paul Skenes, hoping that he can rebound from his struggles over his last five games. The Pirates have not won a start from Skenes since May 12 against the Colorado Rockies and have dropped their last five, including the most recent one against the Dodgers on June 9. Skenes pitched six innings and gave up just two runs, but the bullpen could not support him enough.
The Pirates surrendered 10 runs in the seventh inning, which led to the 12-3 defeat. The Pirates cannot let another Skenes start go to waste again, especially with the Marlins countering with one of the top underrated starting pitchers in the league.
The Marlins are starting Max Meyer, who was the number three overall pick in the 2020 MLB draft. Meyer is enjoying the best season of his career so far with a 6-0 mark, which matches his win total from his first four seasons combined. Meyer has gone at least five innings in all but one of his starts this season, so his consistency should challenge the Pirates in the matchup.
Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Peacock
Pitching Matchup: Max Meyer (6-0, 2.85 ERA) vs. Paul Skenes (6-5, 2.84 ERA)
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