This afternoon matchup at PNC Park features two of the more intriguing young arms in baseball, with Paul Skenes taking the mound for Pittsburgh against Tampa Bay's Drew Rasmussen. Skenes has shown electric stuff early this season, featuring a four-seam fastball averaging 97 mph alongside a devastating changeup and slider combination. His recent outings show consistent velocity and spin rates, though he'll need to manage his pitch count efficiently against a disciplined Rays lineup. Rasmussen enters this start in exceptional form with a microscopic 1.13 ERA and 0.56 WHIP through three starts, relying heavily on his cutter-fastball combination that has generated a 9.56 K/9 rate while walking just one batter in 16 innings. The Pirates offense has been inconsistent but explosive when clicking, as evidenced by their 16-5 demolition of Washington and yesterday's 5-1 victory over these same Rays. Oneil Cruz continues to showcase his immense talent with five home runs and a .316 average, while Ryan O'Hearn has been a revelation with three homers and 13 RBIs. The key for Pittsburgh will be getting to Rasmussen early, as his cutter has been nearly unhittable this season. Tampa Bay's offense revolves around Yandy Diaz, who's hitting .371 with excellent plate discipline, and they'll need him to set the tone against Skenes' power arsenal. The Rays face significant challenges with their pitching depth decimated by injuries to key relievers Edwin Uceta, Garrett Cleavinger, and others. This puts extra pressure on Rasmussen to work deep into the game, which could favor Pittsburgh's chances of breaking through later. The Pirates bullpen, while not spectacular, should have fresher arms available. Weather conditions with drizzle and 18 mph winds could affect ball carry, potentially favoring pitchers in what should be a lower-scoring affair. The Pirates' home field advantage and momentum from yesterday's convincing win give them a slight edge in what projects to be a pitcher-friendly environment.

Scoring Dynamics

Early (1-3) 1R Both starters dealing, minimal early offense

Middle (4-6) 4R Pirates break through against Rasmussen in 4th-6th

Late (7-9) 3R Rays rally attempt against Pirates bullpen

Matchup Analysis

Pirates

Paul Skenes dominant stuff

Strong home record (6-4)

Hot hitting from Cruz and O'Hearn

Bullpen depth concerns

Missing Jared Jones

Rays

Drew Rasmussen's elite form (1.13 ERA)

Strong road record (7-5)

Yandy Diaz leading offense

Multiple pitching injuries

Just lost yesterday 5-1

Bullpen depleted with injuries

Risk Factors

Weather conditions with drizzle

Both teams' bullpen usage

Key Matchups

Oneil Cruz vs Drew Rasmussen batter Cruz's power vs Rasmussen's cutter

Yandy Diaz vs Paul Skenes batter Diaz's contact skills vs high velo

Statistical Edges

First to Score Rays 55%

Strikeouts 14 11-17

Total Runs 8 6-10

Game Preview

Drew Rasmussen takes the mound in the top of the first with his devastating cutter working, retiring the Pirates in order as Oneil Cruz and Ryan O'Hearn both swing through his signature pitch. Paul Skenes matches that intensity, touching 99 mph with his fastball while freezing Yandy Diaz with a changeup for strike three. The scoreless duel continues into the second inning until Nick Gonzales works a walk and scores on a Joey Bart double down the left field line, giving Pittsburgh an early 1-0 advantage. The game remains tight until the fourth inning when Rasmussen's command wavers slightly in the drizzling conditions. Cruz launches a towering home run to right field on a hanging cutter, then O'Hearn follows with an RBI single to push the Pirates ahead 3-1. Skenes continues to dominate with his four-pitch mix, but Diaz finally solves him in the fifth with a solo shot that cuts the deficit to 3-2. Pittsburgh adds insurance in the sixth when Gonzales drives home another run with a clutch two-out single. The Rays mount their strongest rally in the seventh inning against the Pirates bullpen, loading the bases with one out before Junior Caminero drives in two runs with a sharp single to center, tying the game at 4-4. However, the Pirates respond immediately in the bottom half when Cruz delivers again with a go-ahead RBI double, and the home crowd erupts as Pittsburgh takes a 5-4 lead they'll protect into the ninth for the series victory.

Confidence at 72% reflects Paul Skenes' upside against a Rays team dealing with significant pitching injuries and coming off yesterday's loss. However, Drew Rasmussen's exceptional early-season form and Tampa Bay's strong road record prevent higher confidence in what should be a competitive pitcher's duel.

Probable Pitchers

Tampa Bay Rays — Roster

Player	Pos	AVG	HR	RBI	OBP	SLG
Chandler Simpson	LF	.338	0	4	.361	.388
Junior Caminero	3B	.250	4	9	.344	.438
Ryan Vilade	1B	.217	0	2	.280	.261
Yandy Díaz	DH	.354	3	16	.446	.532
Jonny DeLuca	RF	.300	2	11	.333	.525
Cedric Mullins	CF	.149	2	8	.205	.284
Ben Williamson	2B	.241	0	6	.313	.310
Nick Fortes	C	.327	1	7	.373	.455
Taylor Walls	SS	.257	0	4	.316	.286

Pittsburgh Pirates — Roster

Player	Pos	AVG	HR	RBI	OBP	SLG
Oneil Cruz	CF	.302	6	19	.368	.570
Brandon Lowe	2B	.267	7	18	.375	.600
Bryan Reynolds	RF	.253	3	12	.387	.413
Jake Mangum	LF	.268	0	1	.348	.293
Marcell Ozuna	DH	.185	2	7	.254	.292
Nick Yorke	3B	.245	0	3	.349	.302
Spencer Horwitz	1B	.245	1	4	.379	.340
Konnor Griffin	SS	.216	0	8	.293	.294
Joey Bart	C	.143	1	3	.219	.250

Scoring Plays

▼ 1

Ryan O'Hearn homers (4) on a fly ball to right field. Bryan Reynolds scores.

0-2

▼ 4

Marcell Ozuna homers (2) on a fly ball to left field. Ryan O'Hearn scores.

0-4

▲ 5

Junior Caminero doubles (3) on a sharp line drive to left fielder Bryan Reynolds. Hunter Feduccia scores.

1-4

▲ 5

Jonathan Aranda singles on a ground ball to center fielder Oneil Cruz. Junior Caminero scores.

2-4

▲ 5

Jonny DeLuca doubles (3) on a sharp line drive to center fielder Oneil Cruz. Jonathan Aranda scores. Yandy Díaz scores.

4-4

▲ 5

Cedric Mullins singles on a ground ball to center fielder Oneil Cruz. Jonny DeLuca scores.

5-4

▼ 8

Nick Yorke singles on a line drive to right fielder Jonny DeLuca. Brandon Lowe scores. Billy Cook to 3rd.

5-5

▲ 11

Chandler Simpson singles on a ground ball to second baseman Brandon Lowe.

6-5

▼ 11

Konnor Griffin reaches on a fielder's choice, fielded by second baseman Ben Williamson. Nick Yorke scores.

6-6

▲ 13

Cedric Mullins homers (2) on a fly ball to right center field. Jonny DeLuca scores.

8-6

▼ 13

Konnor Griffin singles on a ground ball to right fielder Jonny DeLuca. Jake Mangum scores. Spencer Horwitz to 3rd.

8-7

Tampa Bay Rays — Batting

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K	HR	AVG	OPS
Chandler SimpsonLF	7	0	2	0	0	1	0	.338	.749
Junior Caminero3B	7	1	2	1	0	0	0	.250	.782
Ryan Vilade1B	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.217	.541
Yandy DíazDH	5	1	1	0	1	3	0	.354	.978
Jonny DeLucaRF	4	2	2	2	0	0	0	.300	.858
Cedric MullinsCF	5	1	2	3	0	1	1	.149	.489
Ben Williamson2B	4	0	1	0	0	1	0	.241	.623
Nick FortesC	2	0	1	0	1	0	0	.327	.828
Taylor WallsSS	6	1	0	0	0	4	0	.257	.602
Totals	50	8	15	7	4	12	1

BATTING

2B: Caminero (3, Sanders); DeLuca (3, Sisk).

HR: Mullins (2, 13th inning off Ramírez, Y, 1 on, 0 out).

TB: Aranda 2; Caminero 3; DeLuca 3; Díaz, Y; Fortes; Fraley; Mullins 5; Palacios, R; Simpson 2; Williamson.

RBI: Aranda (16); Caminero (9); DeLuca 2 (11); Mullins 3 (8).

2-out RBI: Caminero; Aranda; Mullins; DeLuca 2.

Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Simpson 2; Williamson; Mullins.

GIDP: DeLuca; Walls.

Team RISP: 6-for-19.

Team LOB: 13.

BASERUNNING

SB: Walls (3, 2nd base off Ramírez, Y/Davis, H).

CS: Mullins (1, 2nd base by Sisk/Davis, H).

FIELDING

DP: (Walls-Vilade).

a-Doubled for Fraley in the 5th.

b-Batted for Palacios, R in the 5th.

c-Singled for Feduccia in the 6th.

1-Ran for Aranda in the 9th.

Pittsburgh Pirates — Batting

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K	HR	AVG	OPS
Oneil CruzCF	6	0	1	0	0	1	0	.302	.938
Brandon Lowe2B	5	1	0	0	1	1	0	.267	.975
Bryan ReynoldsRF	3	1	0	0	3	1	0	.253	.800
Jake MangumLF	1	1	0	0	1	1	0	.268	.641
Marcell OzunaDH	6	1	2	2	0	2	1	.185	.546
Nick Yorke3B	6	1	1	1	0	2	0	.245	.651
Spencer Horwitz1B	4	0	0	0	2	2	0	.245	.719
Konnor GriffinSS	6	0	1	2	0	2	0	.216	.587
Joey BartC	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	.143	.469
Totals	46	7	7	7	8	14	2

BATTING

2B: Cruz, O (5, Seymour, I).

HR: O'Hearn (4, 1st inning off Rasmussen, 1 on, 2 out); Ozuna (2, 4th inning off Rasmussen, 1 on, 1 out).

TB: Cruz, O 2; Griffin; O'Hearn 5; Ozuna 5; Yorke.

RBI: Griffin 2 (8); O'Hearn 2 (15); Ozuna 2 (7); Yorke (3).

2-out RBI: O'Hearn 2; Griffin; Yorke.

Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Yorke 2; Bart 2; Mangum; Horwitz; Reynolds, B.

GIDP: Gonzales, N.

Team RISP: 2-for-17.

Team LOB: 12.

BASERUNNING

SB: Griffin (3, 2nd base off Gómez, Y/Fortes).

FIELDING

E: Davis, H (1, catcher interference); Ramírez, Y (3, pickoff).

DP: 3 (2 Lowe, B-Griffin-Horwitz; Griffin-Lowe, B-Horwitz).

a-Intentionally walked for Cook, B in the 10th.

b-Grounded into a double play for Davis, H in the 11th.

1-Ran for O'Hearn in the 8th.

Tampa Bay Rays — Pitching

Pitcher	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	PC-ST	ERA
Drew Rasmussen	3.2	2	4	4	2	3	2	64-38	2.75
Mason Englert	0.2	0	0	0	1	0	0	15-8	7.84
Ian Seymour(H, 4)	1.2	2	0	0	0	3	0	23-17	8.68
Hunter Bigge(H, 4)	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	9-6	1.42
Bryan Baker(BS, 2)	1.0	2	1	1	1	2	0	31-20	4.32
Cole Sulser	1.1	0	0	0	1	1	0	22-12	4.38
Kevin Kelly	1.2	0	1	0	1	2	0	20-15	5.79
Griffin Jax(W, 1-2)	1.0	0	0	0	1	2	0	13-8	7.04
Yoendrys Gómez(S, 1)	1.0	1	1	0	1	1	0	16-9	6.75

Pittsburgh Pirates — Pitching

Pitcher	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	PC-ST	ERA
Paul Skenes	4.0	3	0	0	0	5	0	64-43	3.27
Cam Sanders	0.2	3	4	4	1	2	0	20-12	54.00
Evan Sisk(BS, 1)	1.2	4	1	1	0	2	0	38-24	4.50
Justin Lawrence	1.2	1	0	0	0	1	0	23-11	7.20
Gregory Soto	1.0	0	0	0	1	1	0	17-9	0.77
Isaac Mattson	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	13-8	1.42
Yohan Ramírez(L, 2-1)	3.0	4	3	1	2	1	1	44-27	2.30

Game Info

Umpires: Home Plate: Adrian Johnson; First Base: Paul Clemons; Second Base: Steven Jaschinski; Third Base: Brock Ballou

Venue: PNC Park, Pittsburgh

Weather: 81°F, Cloudy

Wind: 17 mph, Out To LF

Tampa Bay Rays — News

Cardinals Trade Chris Roycroft To Rays

Roycroft has no 2026 MLB stats, indicating he hasn't pitched in the majors this season; the deal clears roster space for St. Louis, which sits 42-34 with a +5 run differential.

Chris Roycroft

St. Louis Cardinals

Tampa Bay Rays

Rays Designate Austin Slater For Assignment

DeLuca returns from hamstring strain but carries a .269 AVG and .277 xwOBA in limited action, while Slater (.231 AVG, .236 xwOBA) struggled enough to clear the roster—neither move impacts a 41-30 Rays team sitting 24-9 at home.

Austin Slater

Tampa Bay Rays

Dodgers Sweep Rays, Claim MLB's Best Record

LAD (48-27, .640) now hold the top mark over MIL (45-26, .634) with a +144 run differential built on elite pitching—Yamamoto (2.52 ERA, 0.84 WHIP) and Ohtani (1.47 ERA, 0.82 WHIP) anchoring a rotation that's allowed just 252 runs. TB's sweep loss continues a 3-game skid despite Rasmussen (2.59 ERA, 84 SO) and Martinez (2.60 ERA) holding strong individually.

Tampa Bay Rays

Los Angeles Dodgers

Astros select Raynel Delgado from minor league trade with Rays

Delgado arrives as Houston adds depth to an infield while sitting 31-39 with a -38 run differential, but his promotion does not address the rotation issues that have allowed 353 runs this season.

Raynel Delgado

Tampa Bay Rays

Houston Astros

Rays Select Austin Slater From Triple-A

Slater arrives with a .209 AVG and .233 xwOBA in limited Triple-A action, positioned as a bench depth piece against Boston's left-handed starter tonight. TB (37-25, +7 run diff) is 3-7 in their last 10 despite leading the AL East, making roster flexibility more valuable than a marginal offensive upgrade.

Austin Slater

Tampa Bay Rays

Pittsburgh Pirates — News

Pirates SP Jared Jones hit by line drive, exits after 3 innings

Jones' availability for upcoming starts is unclear after the right elbow injury; PIT's rotation is already thin with Keller posting a 5.25 ERA and Mlodzinski at 3.72 ERA. The Pirates are 38-39 and can't afford rotation depth losses heading into a weak NLC.

Jared Jones

Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Open To Trading Prospects At Deadline

Pittsburgh sits 38-38 and 2 games out of a wild card spot, but trading youth signals a shift from full rebuild after a decade without playoffs. Keller (5-4, 5.25 ERA) remains their best rotation option as they face a Rockies team that's -89 in run differential this season.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Colorado Rockies

Braves Trade Hunter Stratton to Pirates for Joey Bart

Atlanta swaps a relief prospect (Stratton, xwOBA .191) for a catcher prospect (Bart, xwOBA .256) while designated Sandy León to open 40-man space. The deal provides depth at an organizational level without impacting either team's current rotation or lineup.

Joey Bart

Hunter Stratton

Sandy León

Pittsburgh Pirates

Atlanta Braves

McNeil homers in Athletics' 11-2 win over Pirates

McNeil is hitting .232/.304/.305 on the season with just 2 HR in 64 games—one multi-hit performance doesn't move the needle for an Athletics team at .500 (35-35) that has already shown inconsistency.

Jeff McNeil

Athletics

Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates To Recall Antwone Kelly For MLB Debut

Kelly has no 2026 stats in the database, indicating he's been working in the minors; Pittsburgh (35-33, +22 run differential) makes the move as a depth addition with no immediate rotation impact.

Antwone Kelly

Pittsburgh Pirates