Series preview: MLB’s best Giants come to PNC

San Francisco Giants (22-14) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (15-21), May 13-16, 2021

Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA

TV: AT&T Sports Pittsburgh

Giants SB Nation Site: McCovey Chronicles

It’s been a while since the Giants visited the Pirates in Pittsburgh, but the long-awaited absence from PNC Park ends this weekend for the team out by The Bay.

Here’s a look at what we can expect this weekend:

Projected Starters

Thursday, 6:35 p.m. EST

Anthony DeSclafani (2-1, 2.40 ERA) vs. Wil Crowe (0-1, 4.02 ERA)

Friday, 6:35 p.m. EST

Kevin Gausman (3-0, 1.97 ERA) vs. Tyler Anderson (3-3, 3.05 ERA)

Saturday, 6:35 p.m. EST

Johnny Cueto (2-1, 3.52 ERA) vs. Mitch Keller (2-4, 7.81 ERA)

Sunday, 1:05 p.m. EST

Alex Wood (4-0, 1.80 ERA) vs. JT Brubaker (2-2, 2.78 ERA)

Projected Lineups

Giants

1. Mike Tauchman (LF)
2. Mike Yastrzemski (RF)
3. Buster Posey (C)
4. Brandon Belt (1B)
5. Evan Longoria (3B)
6. Brandon Crawford (SS)
7. Wilmer Flores (2B)
8. Stephen Duggar (CF)
9. Starting Pitcher

Pirates

1. Adam Frazier (2B)
2. Bryan Reynolds (CF)
3. Phillip Evans (1B)
4. Gregory Polanco (RF)
5. Erik Gonzalez (3B)
6. Ka’ai Tom (LF)
7. Jacob Stallings (C)
8. Kevin Newman (SS)
9. Starting Pitcher

The Giants enter this series at 22-14, which is the best in the Major Leagues. Their average as a team is .226 which is .001 better than the Pirates, but the team’s ERA ranks fourth in the NL at 3.34.

The Pirates will face their best pitching over the weekend including three pitchers with ERA’s under 2.50. For a team that has not scored many runs as of late, we could see that trend continue into the weekend.