Pirates Make Starting Pitchers Change vs. Reds
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates face off against the Cincinnati Reds in a four-game series at Great American Ball Park with some changes to their starting pitcher rotation.
The Pirates will go with a bullpen day for the series opener on July 30, with right-handed pitcher Yohan Ramírez taking the mound first and then someone else will come in for a bulk role in the second or third inning.
Pittsburgh will then move their other starting pitchers back a day, with Paul Skenes taking the mound in the second game on July 31, Braxton Ashcraft starting on Aug. 1 and then Mitch Keller closing out the series on Aug. 2.
The Reds have their four pitchers, with right-handed pitchers in Rhett Lowder going in the series opener, Hunter Greene starting the second game and Chase Burns closing out the series, while left-handed pitcher Andrew Abbott starts in the third game.
Why Pirates Are Going With Bullpen Game
The Pirates are in the midst of 17 games in 17 days, just finishing a six-game homestand vs. the Chicago Cubs and Arizona Diamondbacks, July 24-29.
Pittsburgh will also travel to face the Milwaukee Brewers for a four-game series at American Family Field, then host the New York Mets, Aug. 7-9, before they finally get a day off on Aug. 10.
Ramírez has had a solid season with the Pirates, with a 6-3 record in 44 appearances, posting a 3.21 ERA over 56.0 innings pitched, 62 strikeouts, a .215 batting average allowed (BAA) and a 1.38 WHIP.
The Reds have many right-handed bats at the top of their lineup, with switch-hitter in shortstop Elly De La Cruz, plus right-handers in first base Sal Stewart, center fielder Dane Myers, designated hitter Eugenio Suárez, catcher Tyler Stephenson and right fielder Noelvi Marte.
Cincinnati will likely have JJ Bleday and Nathaniel Lowe, left-handed batters, but it forces the Reds to mix up their lineup and can benefit the Pirates bullpen going forward.
Expect left-handed pitcher Hunter Barco to take on a large bulk role in this game for the Pirates, who they just called up from Triple-A Indianapolis,and also pitchers like right-hander Noah Murdock and left-hander Mason Montgomery as well.
Paul Skenes Tries to Get Back on Track vs. Reds
Skenes has dominated the Reds throughout his career, with a 5-0 record in seven starts, a 1.38 ERA over 39.0 innings pitched, six earned runs allowed and 52 strikeouts.
His last start vs. the Reds was not excellent as it normally is, giving up four earned runs over five innings in an eventual 6-4 defeat at PNC Park on June 26.
Skenes had previously posted a 0.53 ERA against the Reds, with just two earned runs over 34.0 innings pitched.
He tied his career-high of 11 strikeouts in his last start vs. the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park on July 25, but also gave up five earned runs over 5.1 innings in the 11-0 loss.
Skenes did get a bit unlucky, with the Cubs getting on base with weak contact, but it wasn't a great result against a tough opponent.
The Pirates need a great outing from Skenes and he'll look to lean on his success against the Reds to do so once again at Great American Ball Park.
Ashcraft Aiming for Better Starts Post All-Star Break
The Pirates best starter at the All-Star break was Ashcraft, who dominated on the mound and was efficient over long starts.
Ashcraft hasn't been as effective over his last three starts, with a 10.29 ERA, 16 earned runs over 14.0 innings pitched.
He gave up career-highs of eight runs and seven earned runs over just three innings in the 8-5 loss to the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on July 20, but pitched slightly better vs. the Cubs, with four runs allowed over six innings in the 8-7 win.
It's been a long season for Ashcraft, who is in his first full campaign in the rotation and has an injury history that may force the Pirates to reduce his starts/innings pitched as the year progresses.
Ashcraft was excellent in his last start vs. the Reds, throwing 7.2 scoreless innings and outdueling Burns in a 1-0 victory for the Pirates at PNC Park on May 3.
He may not need that great of an outing, but the Pirates will surely hope Ashcraft can get back to his very best in Cincinnati.
Keller Pitching Much Better After All-Star Break
One Pirates pitcher who is looking like he's getting back to form after the All-Star break is Keller, posting a 1.74 ERA over his two starts.
Keller threw five scoreless innings vs. the Yankees in the 5-3 win in extra innings in the first game of the doubleheader on July 22 and then threw 5.1 innings vs. the Diamondbacks at PNC Park on July 27, almost escaping the sixth inning scoreless, before giving up a two-run hit.
He had a poor run of form before the All-Star break, with a 2-6 record in 11 starts and a 7.03 ERA, which ended with a three-inning outing vs. the Atlanta Braves at PNC Park on July 9, where he gave up three runs over 72 pitches.
The Pirates need Keller to continue his recent starts into the rest of the season, bucking his trend of pitching worse once the second half of the year comes around, and take on a heavy innings workload.
Keller is the veteran in the Pirates starting rotation and he'll have a great challenge against Burns, who is one of the best pitchers in baseball in 2026.
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.