The Pittsburgh Pirates salvaged their series against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field with a 9-5 win on Sunday afternoon.
Spencer Horwitz clubbed a pair of homers and drove in six runs while Nick Gonzales went 4 for 5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.
After a six-game road trip out west, the Pirates (48-64) return home for a seven-game homestand, starting with the San Francisco Giants (56-56) on Monday night.
First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. ET, and the game will be broadcast on SportsNet Pittsburgh and 93.7 The Fan.
Weather
Mix of clouds and sun with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 70s. Winds E at 3-6 mph.
RHP Johan Oviedo (2025 Debut) Will Start for the Pirates
Oviedo will be back on a big-league mound for the first time since Sep. 27, 2023 after undergoing Tommy John surgery and dealing with a lat injury.
The big right-hander made six rehab starts across four different levels and posted a 3.12 ERA (6er/17.1ip) while striking out 21 batters.
Oviedo totaled 32 starts with the Pirates during the 2023 season and went 9-14 with a 4.31 ERA.
In three career starts against the Giants, Oviedo is 0-1 with a 2.35 ERA.
RHP Justin Verlander (1-8, 4.53 ERA) Will Start for the Giants
The last time Verlander pitched was against the Pirates on Tuesday at Oracle Park. The veteran right-hander held the Bucs to one run across five innings.
Combined between his last two starts, Verlander has allowed just one run on seven hits in 10 innings with 10 strikeouts.
The 42-year-old, who is the active leader with 263 wins, dropped his first eight decisions of the season before earning his first win of the season on July 23 against the Atlanta Braves.
In nine career starts against Pittsburgh, Verlander is 5-2 with a 3.36 ERA. Only two of those starts have come at PNC Park.
Giants Hitters vs. Oviedo
Willy Adames: 3 for 7, one double, one strikeout
Patrick Bailey: 0 for 5, four strikeouts
Dominic Smith: 2 for 4
Andrew Knizner: 0 for 4
Matt Chapman: 0 for 3, one walk, one strikeout
Rafael Devers: 1 for 2, one home run, one RBI, one walk
Pirates Hitters vs. Verlander
Andrew McCutchen: 4 for 27, two doubles, two RBI, four walks, seven strikeouts
Isiah Kiner-Falefa: 4 for 17, one home run, one RBI, five strikeouts
Tommy Pham: 6 for 9, three doubles, one walk
Spencer Horwitz: 1 for 3
Bryan Reynolds: 1 for 3, one strikeout
Nick Gonzales: 0 for 3, two strikeouts
Tidbits
Spencer Horwitz’s second homer in Sunday’s game came off Rockies reliever Ryan Rolison. It was Horwitz’s first-career homer against a left-handed pitcher.
Nick Gonzales finished 4 for 5 and extended his hitting streak to six games. He’s batting .448 (13 for 29) during the streak.
Tommy Pham played in his 1,200th career game on Sunday and drove in his 500th (and 501st) career run with a two-run homer in the first inning.
Links
Pirates’ Paul Skenes Named NL Pitcher of the Month for July
Pirates Q&A: Best Lineup Moving Forward, Trade Fallout
Perrotto: Baseball People Want to Help but Pirates Need to Ask
Spencer Horwitz Clubs Two Homers; Pirates Fend off Rockies After Flirting With Another Disaster
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