Do you have plans for Saturday night in the Greater Denver metropolitan area? Then, maybe you should consider going to Coors Field. Why? Paul Skenes will take the mound for the Pittsburgh Pirates against the Colorado Rockies.
That’s right. One of MLB’s young, powerful pitching superstars gets the start on Saturday night. Skenes is 6-6 this season, which might not be a solid reflection of just how strong he is when taking the mound.
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Before getting to Saturday night’s game, though, let’s take a look at the entire series. This includes pitching probables, game times, and a look at a couple of key players from both teams.
Bubba Chandler vs. Kyle Freeland
First pitch: 6:40 p.m. MT.
TV: Pirates, SNP; Rockies, Rockies.tv.
Probable starting pitchers: Chandler comes into Friday night’s game with a 2-7 record and a 4.76 ERA. In 14 games (13 starts), Chandler has 68 strikeouts and a 1.38 WHIP. Freeland is 1-7 with a 7.98 ERA. He’s started 12 games this season, struck out 49, and has a 1.70 WHIP.
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Paul Skenes vs. Tomoyuki Sugano
First pitch: 7:10 p.m. MT.
TV: Pirates, SNP; Rockies, Rockies.tv.
Probable starting pitchers: Skenes, who was the Pirates’ No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, isn’t having his best season so far. He’s 6-6 with a 2.85 ERA. In 15 starts this season, Skenes has 99 strikeouts and a sparking 0.93 WHIP. Compare his numbers so far this season to some career numbers. He’s started 70 games for the Buckos, going 27-19 with a sterling 2.15 ERA. Skenes has 485 career strikeouts and also has one of MLB’s wickedest fastballs. Sugano is 7-4 with a 4.54 ERA for the Rockies. In 14 starts, Sugano has 41 strikeouts and a 1.34 WHIP.
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Jared Jones vs. Michael Lorenzen
First pitch: 1:10 p.m. ET.
TV: Pirates, SNP; Rockies, Rockies.tv.
Probable starting pitchers: Jones is 1-1 this season with a 6.23 ERA. In 17.1 innings of work, Jones has 18 strikeouts and a 1.62 WHIP. Lorenzen is 2-8 with a 7.13 ERA. In 16 games (15 starts), Lorenzen has 60 strikeouts with a 1.85 WHIP.
Heading into Friday night’s contest at Coors Field, the Pirates are 38-37 and sit in fourth place in the National League Central Division. Pittsburgh is currently 8.5 games behind the front-running Milwaukee Brewers. As for the Rockies, they are 28-47 and 20 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West Division.
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Pirates: Second baseman Brandon Lowe has been the power source for Pittsburgh’s lineup this season. Lowe has 18 home runs and 49 RBIs. He has a slash line of .241/.511/.837. Center fielder Oneil Cruz, right fielder Ryan O’Hearn, and left fielder Bryan Reynolds all have double digits in home runs. As mentioned earlier, Skenes gets a start on Saturday night. Enough said about him.
Rockies: When looking at the Rockies’ lineup recently, Hunter Goodman, Cole Carrigg, and Sterlin Thompson are three names to keep an eye on this weekend. Goodman, who has been doing his best to guide a young Rockies’ pitching staff, has been putting up All-Star type numbers at the plate. He has a slash line of .251/.536/.858 with 21 home runs and 39 RBIs. Carrigg has been a highlight reel all unto himself since being called up from the Triple-Albuquerque Isotopes. Carrigg already has three homers and eight RBIs in his first 33 at-bats in the majors. But his defense in center field already has been getting noticed around the MLB world. As for Thompson, he joined a nice list of former Rockies when he hit two home runs in one game despite it coming in a loss.
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This weekend’s series should be one to watch for both Pirates and Rockies fans.
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