The Pittsburgh Pirates finally won a game. Now they will try to make it two straight for the first time in nearly three weeks when they host the Seattle Mariners in the middle contest of a three-game series on Saturday.
The Pirates snapped their 10-game losing streak with a 5-3 win in the opener on Friday, scoring five unanswered runs after trailing 2-0.
Rookie Paul Skenes delivered a quality start before Seattle added a run in the ninth off closer David Bednar.
“Definitely doesn’t feel good that we had the streak in the first place,” Skenes said. “It’s nice to do it at home and get it out of the way. Hopefully we can put it behind us.”
Pittsburgh last won consecutive games when it captured three in a row from July 28-30. Before Friday, the Pirates hadn’t won a game since Aug. 3 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Since that win, designated hitter Andrew McCutchen has been playing through soreness in his left knee, an issue that forced him out on Friday when he pulled up in pain at first base after his seventh-inning single.
Oneil Cruz also departed in the seventh with left ankle discomfort sustained on his two-run double that brought in the Pirates’ fourth and fifth runs. The shortstop took an aggressive turn toward third before coming to a hard stop and going back to second.
Whether either will be available Saturday remains to be seen. Both are day-to-day.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa will be among those the Pirates will count on to help pick up the slack for the potential absentees. The 29-year-old, who played his entire career in the American League before he was dealt to Pittsburgh last month, is hitting .296 in 69 career games against Seattle.
Bailey Falter (5-7, 4.07 ERA) will get the nod for the Pirates. The left-hander is 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA in two career starts against Seattle.
The Mariners, meanwhile, are looking to get back on track after taking their fourth straight loss to begin a nine-game road trip. The offense has sputtered on the trip, connecting for 14 hits in 123 at-bats, a .114 batting average.
“I believe in our guys,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “We’re going to fight through it. We need to get some big hits, though. That’s what it’s about. You’ve got to come through with guys in scoring position.”
The Mariners managed five hits on Friday after getting only one in a 2-1 setback against the Detroit Tigers a day earlier. The Friday output included two home runs, a two-run shot from Luke Raley and a solo blast by Jorge Polanco. Seattle went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position and stranded six.
“It hurts all the same, honestly,” outfielder Dominic Canzone said. “We should be going out there and executing the game plan every day. … And it’s hard because I look around the clubhouse and I see everybody doing it. You’ve got to keep showing up and playing the game and hope that the big hit starts coming, and it doesn’t stop coming.”
Seattle will have right-hander Luis Castillo (10-11, 3.40 ERA) on the mound as it looks to even the series. The 31-year-old veteran is 6-4 with a 2.32 ERA in 14 career appearances against Pittsburgh.
–Field Level Media