Rivalry Weekend Series Preview: Pirates vs. Phillies
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This weekend, Major League Baseball debuts its inaugural Rivalry Weekend with a Keystone State showdown, as the Pittsburgh Pirates (15-29) head to Philadelphia to face the Phillies (25-18) at Citizens Bank Park. The Pirates are traveling about 100 miles south after dropping two of three in a series against the New York Mets at Citi Field.
Pittsburgh has been mired in what has essentially amounted to a season-long slump offensively. Except for a six-game stretch in late April, the team has consistently been one of the worst offenses in baseball.
The Pirates have scraped together just 29 runs over the past 15 days — the worst output in all of baseball. Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers, MLB’s top-scoring team in that span, have piled up 99 runs, more than three times the Pirates’ total. Both clubs have played 13 games in those 15 days, making the gap even more staggering.
When you stretch that timespan to the past 30 days, the Pirates still rank last with 75 runs.
Not surprisingly, they also rank last in runs for the 2025 season, behind even the lowly Colorado Rockies. The Rockies (7-36) set a MLB record yesterday for the worst start to a season after 43 games.
The Pirates’ struggles reached another grim milestone, as they’ve now been held to four or fewer runs in 20 straight games — the longest such streak in franchise history and the most prolonged slump in the majors this season, surpassing Kansas City’s 17-game skid.
During this stretch, Pittsburgh’s bats have been ice-cold, hitting a meager .206 (second-worst in MLB) while stumbling to a 6-14 record. Their inability to generate offense has cemented them as one of the league’s weakest attacks.
Meanwhile, the Phillies have been solid in all facets of the game and are shaping up to be a National League pennant contender again. They come into the series 2.5 games back from the Mets in the National League East standings.
Philadelphia is led offensively by designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (.261/.393/.580, 15 HR, 33 RBI), who is putting himself into the MVP conversation early on. Superstar slugger Bryce Harper (.236, 7 HR, 23 RBI) hasn't performed up to his lofty standards yet this season, but is always a threat to go yard or produce a clutch hit.
Key storylines of the first-ever MLB #RivalryWeekend
— MLB (@MLB) May 15, 2025
- Juan Soto makes his return to Yankee Stadium as Met
- Terry Francona to face former team in CLE
- Shohei Ohtani and Dodgers go up against his old squad
- Former No. 1 overall picks Paul Skenes vs. Bryce Harper matchup
-… pic.twitter.com/1uvBDzZWba
On Sunday, Harper will face Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes for the first time, in a highly-anticipated matchup of two of baseball's biggest names.
While they will be on opposite teams in this weekend's matchup, they may be playing together on Team USA in next year's World Baseball Classic. This week, Skenes announced his intentions to play for the team, while Harper has not yet committed to playing.
The Phillies' pitching staff leads MLB in strikeouts, yet they're only 27th in walks issued. This means the Phillies are keeping the ball around the strike zone, hopefully giving Pirates hitters ample opportunity to break out of their slump.
Key Stats
- Pirates’ anemic offense: 4 or fewer runs in 20 consecutive games
- Phillies' punchouts: 417 strikeouts leads MLB
- The Pirates and Phillies have met a total of 2,324 times. The Pirates lead the series 1,320-1,085-9.
Probable Pitchers & Matchups
Game 1: Friday, 6:45 PM ET at Citizens Bank Park
- PIT: LHP Andrew Heaney (2-3, 3.15 ERA, 36 K)
- PHI: LHP Ranger Suarez (1-0, 5.91 ERA, 11 K)
- Key Battle: Heaney vs. Phillies OF Nick Castellanos (6-for-8 vs Heaney)
Game 2: Saturday, 6:05 PM ET at Citizens Bank Park
- PIT: RHP Carmen Mlodzinski (1-3, 5.20 ERA, 26 K)
- PHI: RHP Zack Wheeler (4-1, 2.95 ERA, 74 K)
- Key Battle: Wheeler vs Pirates OF Tommy Pham (.455 BA, 1.327 OPS, 1 HR, 2 RBI in 11 career AB against Wheeler)
Game 3: Sunday, 1:35 PM ET at Citizens Bank Park
- PIT: RHP Paul Skenes (3-4, 2.63 ERA, 53 K)
- PHI: LHP Christopher Sanchez (4-1, 2.91 ERA, 52 K)
- Key Battle: Skenes vs Phillies OF Bryce Harper (first career matchup)
Players to Watch
- Bryan Reynolds (PIT): .096 AVG in last 15 days
- Alexander Canario (PIT): .314/.368/.457, 1 HR in last 15 days
- Schwarber (PHI): .261/.393/.580, 15 HR, 33 RBI this season
- Wheeler (PHI): 14 IP, 17 K, 2 ER, 0.64 WHIP, in last two starts
Ethan Merrill is from Grand Rapids, MI, and brings with him a diverse background of experiences. After graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in journalism, he worked with the Arizona Diamondbacks for three seasons before settling in the Pittsburgh area in 2020. With a passion for sports and a growing connection to his community, Ethan brings a fresh perspective to covering the Pittsburgh Pirates.