Pirates, Guardians Delay Second Game of Doubleheader
In this story:
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates will begin in a rain delay as they take on the Cleveland Guardians in the second game of a weekend doubleheader. The two teams were originally set to play a game on Friday but had to postpone it due to the air quality. They're now pushing it back due to rain.
The city of Cleveland, like much of the surrounding cities, was covered in a fog of smoke due to the wildfires in Canada. With the poor air quality reaching extreme numbers, the Friday matchup was postponed and rescheduled as a doubleheader on Saturday.
The two teams got through the first game, with the Pirates winning 7-1. Now, in their second game, which was originally scheduled for 7:10 P.M. Eastern Time has now been pushed back.
The team has not yet announced a time for first pitch but will continue to provide updates as weather reports become clearer.
Tonight’s game will begin in a delay.
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) July 18, 2026
The Pirates are taking a different approach with their second game of the day, going with a bullpen approach with their pitching. The team decided to move Braxton Ashcraft to Monday and will start Mason Montgomery on the mound. The lefty holds a 4.14 ERA with four starts and 38 appearances this season.
Coming out of the All-Star break, the Pirates are 51-47 and one game out of the National League Wild Card. They held the most runs scored going into All-Star week and are looking to take that momentum and continue fighting for a postseason spot. Their first one since 2015.
As they look to stay hot, they're also waiting for stars like Oneil Cruz and Konnor Griffin to return from injuries. Cruz was just placed on the 60-day Injured List but is expected to return around the middle of August. Griffin may be later, but it gives newcomer Jacob Gonzalez a chance to get his feet wet with the team.
Gonzalez was traded to Pittsburgh from the Chicago White Sox just before the MLB Draft.
What's Next?
After completing their doubleheader, Pittsburgh will play Cleveland one more time on Sunday. They then travel to the Bronx to take on the New York Yankees before returning home and hosting the Chicago Cubs.
They host the Arizona Diamondbacks before traveling to Cincinnati and taking on the Reds to finish out the month of July.
This story will continue to be updated as new information is released.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Noah Strackbein is a Publisher for On SI, covering the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2019. A Jessup, PA native, Noah attended Point Park University, where he fell in love with the Steel City and everything it has to offer. You can find Noah's work at Steelers On SI and weekdays as the hosts of All Steelers Talk.