Pirates Seek Offensive Improvement Against Marlins in Road Series
The Pittsburgh Pirates are set to face the Miami Marlins in a three-game series at loanDepot Park. The Pirates aim to improve their offense, which has struggled since the All-Star break, against a Marlins team that is also vying for a Wild Card spot.
Key takeaways
- The Pirates and Marlins are in contention for a National League Wild Card spot.
- Pittsburgh's offense has underperformed since the All-Star break.
- The Pirates face three right-handed pitchers, potentially benefiting them against their struggles with left-handers.
- Key players like Griffin Conine, Eury Perez, and Paul Skenes will be featured.
What Happened
The Pittsburgh Pirates are beginning a three-game road series against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park, running from August 11th to August 13th. The Pirates are looking to their offense to improve during this series.
Why It Matters
Both teams are competing in the National League Wild Card race. The Pirates currently stand at 58-62, four games below .500 and six games behind the Wild Card. The Marlins hold a 60-59 record and are three-and-a-half games back. The Pirates' performance in this series could impact their standing in the playoff race.
Background
The Pirates' lineup was strong before the All-Star break but has seen a decline in performance since. They have posted a .229 batting average, .301 on-base percentage, and .351 slugging percentage with a .652 OPS in the second half of the season, a drop from their first-half stats. Historically, left-handed starting pitchers have presented challenges for the Pirates, with a 10-26 overall record against them this season, including a 2-9 record after the All-Star break. The upcoming series features three right-handed starting pitchers for the Marlins: Eury Pérez, Jason Junk, and Tyler Phillips.
Key Facts
- The Pittsburgh Pirates (58-62) are playing a three-game road series against the Miami Marlins (60-59) from August 11-13 at loanDepot Park.
- The Pirates aim to improve their offensive performance, which has been below expectations since the All-Star break.
- The Marlins are third in the NL East, while the Pirates are fourth in the NL Central and are six games out of the National League Wild Card spot.
- Miami's starting pitchers for the series are expected to be Eury Pérez, Jason Junk, and Tyler Phillips, all right-handers.
- The Pirates have struggled against left-handed pitchers this season, with a 10-26 record, and are 2-9 post-All-Star break against them.
- Eury Perez has a 5-9 record with a 3.61 ERA, and Paul Skenes is expected to start for the Pirates with a 9-10 record and 3.96 ERA.
- Griffin Conine of the Marlins is coming off a game where he hit two home runs in a 12-3 victory over the Angels.
Sources reviewed
Project Chintan independently synthesized and analyzed information cross-checked across the sources listed above.
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