- From PNC Park in Pittsbugh, it’s Mets vs Pirates in the rubber game of their 3-game series
- New York starts veteran lefty Sean Manaea
- Pittsburgh sends righty Jared Jones to the hill
Manaea Strives to Continue His Strong 2nd Half
Sean Manaea has been an established MLB starter, but he was having an awful season after being used early as a bulk reliever and struggling in any role the Mets put him in. However, he’s reclaimed his spot in the starting rotation and has been very effective so far in the second half.
Over his last 3 starts, he’s tossed 18 innings, allowed 18 hits, and 5 earned runs.
For the season, he has a 0.3 bWAR and a 4.33 ERA. In 97.2 innings, he’s allowed 100 hits, 47 earned runs, and 13 homers, walking 35 and striking out 95.
New York saw its 4-game winning streak snapped on Saturday night. They are without Juan Soto, out with a calf injury. And Carson Benge was hit on the wrist on Friday, but it was not broken.
Francisco Alvarez has a .768 OPS with 12 homers. Macus Semien is only batting .212, but has 14 homers. A.J. Ewing is coming into his own along with Benge. He has a .266 average and a .737 OPS with 7 homers and 15 stolen bases in 21 attempts.
Against Jared Jones, Francisco Alvarez, Gabriel Arias, Brett Baty, and Francisco Lindor are all 0 for 2.
Jared Jones Has Been Solid Since His Return From Elbow Surgery
Pirates’ righty Jared Jones missed the entire 2025 season after elbow surgery. He returned this season in late-May and has pitched well. The club is limiting his pitches to around 85. But he’s managed to get through 5 or 6 innings in 4 of his last 5 starts.
The 24-year-old has a 1.1 bWAR and a 4.02 ERA. In 56 innings, he’s allowed 46 hits, 25 earned runs, and 9 homers, walking 16 and striking out 62. He has star potential if he stays healthy.
Pittsburgh is hovering around the periphery of Wild Card contention and beefed up their bullpen at the trade deadline. They recently cut ties with veteran Marcell Ozuna.
At the plate, Brandon Lowe leads the team with 25 homers. Ryan O’Hearn is next with 17, but he’s out with a strained left quadriceps. Bryan Reynolds has 15 homers and an .822 OPS. Oneil Cruz has an .822 OPS, 14 homers, and 21 stolen bases in 25 tries.
For the Bucs against Manaea, Reynolds is 2 for 9 with a home run. Lowe is 0 for 8 with 3 K’s. Nick Gonzales is 0 for 4 with 2 K’s.
Mets vs Pirates Pick
The Pirates still fancy themselves as contenders, so they cannot lose a series to the Mets, particularly after the Mets basically punted the season at the trade deadline.
Jones has been good this season. Manaea has pitched better after that woeful start. The Pirates’ offense woke up on Saturday, but that was against journeyman Robert Stock. For this matchup, Pittsburgh will do just enough to get the win behind Jones and their revamped bullpen.
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Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates -131
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