Pirates Face Blue Jays with Paul Skenes on the Mound

Pittsburgh, PA – The Pittsburgh Pirates will host the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday at PNC Park, starting at 6:40 p.m. ET. The matchup features NL Cy Young candidate Paul Skenes on the mound for the Pirates, against the Blue Jays’ Kevin Gausman.

Paul Skenes has been a standout for the Pirates this season, boasting a 2.13 ERA and not allowing an earned run at home in his last 31 innings. However, the Pirates sit in last place in the NL Central, with a record of 51-71. They are 34-29 at home this year.

The Blue Jays, with the best record in the American League and a five-game lead in the AL East, hope to extend their success against a struggling Pirates’ team. Toronto heads into this game with a road record of 31-31.

Gausman, whose career record stands at 110-111, has been performing well recently, reducing his ERA to 3.79 over his last eight starts. This improvement gives the Blue Jays confidence as they look to push for a win in this pivotal matchup.

Betting odds favor the Pirates at -114, while the Blue Jays stand at -105. The over/under for total runs is set at 7, indicating expectations for a competitive game. Notably, the Pirates are historically one of the best UNDER teams in MLB, a trend that might continue against Gausman.

Despite Skenes’ impressive season, the Pirates’ overall offense has struggled, ranking last in runs scored this year. This gives Toronto an opportunity to capitalize, especially with players like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer contributing significantly to their offense.

Tonight’s game promises excitement as the Pirates look to break their losing streak against a strong Blue Jays team. If Skenes can deliver another dominant performance, Pittsburgh has a fighting chance in this series opener.