Pirates vs. Dodgers Preview: Pittsburgh Looking to Avoid Sweep

Can the Pittsburgh Pirates avoid being swept for the second straight series?

That’s the task at hand for the Pirates when they wrap up their three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday. The winner of Sunday’s matchup will also take the season series, as both teams have won three games apiece through their six matchups.

The Pirates’ losing streak was extended to six with a 4-1 loss on Saturday despite having Paul Skenes on the mound. Skenes pitched six innings, struck out eight batters and allowed four earned runs, which is the most of his MLB career through 15 starts. The 6-foot-6 flamethrower had no answer for Gavin Lux, who drove in three of the four runs scored against Skenes.

Teoscar Hernandez added a solo home run in the fifth inning. Skenes is now 6-2 and has gone over a month without a win.

Pittsburgh had nine hits but didn’t crack the scoreboard until the ninth inning on a solo home run from Ke’Bryan Hayes. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Bryan Reynolds and Michael Taylor each had two-hit games for the Pirates.

Pittsburgh will face a familiar face in Tyler Glasnow, who will get the start for the Dodgers. The 6-foot-8 right-hander spent the first two-plus seasons with the Pirates before getting traded midseason to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018. Glasnow, 30, is 9-6 with a 3.54 earned run average in 127 innings and has struck out 164 batters in his first season with the Dodgers.

The Pirates will have 27-year-old left-hander Bailey Falter on the mount. Falter is 5-7 with a 3.87 ERA and has struck out 65 batters across 97.2 innings pitched.

Pirates vs. Dodgers Broadcast Info

Location: Dodger Stadium
Records: Dodger 68-49, Pirates 56-60
First pitch: 4:10 p.m. ET
TV: Dodgers – SportsNet LA. Pirates – SportsNet-PIT.
Radio: Dodgers: AM570, KTNQ 1020. Pirates: KDKA-FM 93.7.

Pirates vs. Dodgers Betting Odds via SI Sportsbook

Spread: Dodgers -1.5 (-133), Pirates +1.5 (+105)
Total: Over 8.5 (-110), under 8.5 (+118)
Moneyline: Dodgers -300, Pirates +215

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