Series Preview: Pirates vs Mariners

The Pittsburgh Pirates will host the Seattle Mariners for a three-game series beginning tonight at 7:05 p.m. The Mariners last came to PNC Park in 2016, and both teams, at least on the field, mirror each other with dismal 2019 seasons. The Bucs are coming off a humiliating series against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, where they were outscored 47-15 over three games. To add to the misery, starter Chris Archer is officially done for the season with a shoulder injury, and Felipe Vasquez’s arrest today on child solicitation charges dealt another blow. The Mariners fared better on their own Chicago swing, taking two out of three from the White Sox, but they have a worse season record than the Pirates at 62-88.

SCHEDULE

Tuesday, 7:05 p.m. - Mitch Keller (1-4, 8.29) vs Marco Gonzales (15-11, 4.30)

Wednesday, 7:05 p.m. - Dario Agrazal (4-4, 4.91) vs Justin Dunn (0-0, 27.00)

Thursday, 12:35 p.m. - Steven Brault (4-5, 4.89) vs Yusei Kikuchi (6-10, 5.46)

NOTES

Much like the Pirates, the Mariners have floundered this year due to numerous injuries, including to erstwhile ace Felix Hernandez, who’s only recently returned to the team after three months out with a stiff right shoulder, but whose effectiveness has dived in the past few seasons. Lefty Marco Gonzales has put together a decent season, but the rest of the Mariners’ starters lack either experience or consistency. Again like the Pirates, two rookies have emerged as bright spots for the Mariners. First baseman Austin Nola, brought up in June, has settled in with a steady .270 BA, but recent call-up Kyle Lewis (recent as in September tenth) is the talk of the Emerald City these days. The Mariners’ first pick in the first round of the 2016 draft, Lewis is batting .360 with a blistering .960 slugging percentage, definitely marking himself as one to watch in 2020.