Pirates open three-game series against Braves with Paul Skenes on the mound
mean again to you. Yeah, it’s always awesome. You know, it’s, it’s An awesome recognition. Um, All-Star Game is always fun, so it’s going to be cool. What was sort of your reaction when DK told you this year? Surprised at all? Feel good about it? What was your thoughts? To be honest, probably *** little surprised. I, I think I’ve thrown the ball well, but. I don’t think it. I don’t think all the numbers necessarily match that, and I think that’s probably how *** lot of fans feel too. Um, I was shocked that I was the only one, so um. Yeah, not, not too happy about that. What does it mean to you to represent this group knowing when you’re saying you’re shocked the only one? Who else in this clubhouse? What made you believe there were even more? Yeah, I mean, we have the 3rd most runs in baseball. Um, I mean, our offense is just *** buzzsaw and. Nobody wants to face us, so. You know, I think it’s pretty easy to make the case for Brian and Brandon, and I think there are others too. Um, you know, *** couple of guys got hurt that, that would be all-stars, I think that, uh, in O’Neil and, and Spencer, but, um, Yeah, so, I mean, there’s, there’s still time, who knows, and I mean Braxton too, you saw it today, so, um. There’s still time, you know, who, who knows. Is it weird that, I mean, this is your 3rd All-Star. Like, do you feel like you’re gonna be one of the vets in that group now? I mean, you, you’ve gone through it twice, and now you’re getting to go through it for *** 3rd time. Do you feel like you’re one of those experienced guys who get sick for? No, um, because I saw, I think this will be Chris Sale’s 10th, so. Um, most people don’t even play 10 seasons, so much less make 10 All-Star games. So no, I’m, I’m not *** vet. What are some of your favorite parts of the All-Star experience? Um, it’s, it’s just awesome to be around the guys, um. You know, and in the past, it’s been something that, you know, I have family come up and, um, get to spend some time with them and we get to do some, some fun stuff, um, wherever it is, so you know, Philly this year will be cool, um. Yeah, it’s just, but being around everybody, you know, the game’s best for two days, you know, it’s priceless. Right now you’re scheduled to pitch on Sunday for the Pirates. Obviously schedules can change, that sort of thing, but is actually pitching in the All-Star Game something that’s important to you, or is the more important thing for you just making the most of the rest of the experience? Yeah, it, it’s not going to change. Um, I’m throwing, throwing on, you know, I’m focused on the start on Tuesday, but I’m throwing on Sunday too. Um, and so I would. Hope that that would open up *** spot and hopefully Braxton takes it. I think that’s what should happen. But I think, I think the biggest thing is just going and getting to be around everybody, um. Obviously pitching it the last couple of years and and that was cool, but um the the coolest part of the All-Star game is not the All-Star game itself, it’s just, you know, sharing *** clubhouse with everybody. You keep mentioning Brax’s name after watching what he’s done today and not just today but all year, and when you see firsthand the type of pitchers that are at that game, what makes him the type of guy that can be there right now and compete? I mean, you, you’ve seen it all year and we’ve seen it last year too, um. And last year it was *** smaller sample size, came up later in the year. Obviously wasn’t, wasn’t going to be an All-Star last year. Um, and I think that’s, you know, I think Connor’s going to be an All-Star next year and Valdez and some other guys that, you know, Came up and haven’t had *** full year, so I think it’ll be *** different story next year, but he’s one of the best pitchers in the game and I don’t really think you can argue that. I think all the numbers say that too. Obviously he’s having *** good year and recognition and getting to go to the All-Star Game is. It’s not the end all be all by any means. But I, he, he deserves it and he’s not the only one. Was there anything you’re able to learn from the vets in your first couple of All-Star games, you know, all the stories that go around about Mariano Rivera and teaching Roy Halladay his cutter grip and stuff like that. Nothing groundbreaking, um. Talked to Kershaw last year *** little bit about the curveball, you know, my locker was next to his. That was, that was pretty surreal. And then just, just talking to *** bunch of guys, like, you know, my first one, I was trying to figure out how to. How guys get through the season and how they have success over *** whole season and so I was asking *** lot of questions about that and then you know last year was *** little different and this year it’ll be *** little different too, but I think now you know it’s cool. I’ve I’ve probably met most of the guys and um you know, played with some of them now um so it’ll it’ll just be good to see them.
Pirates open three-game series against Braves with Paul Skenes on the mound
Updated: 2:08 PM EDT Jul 7, 2026
The Pittsburgh Pirates host the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday to begin a three-game series. TIME: Tuesday, 6:40 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Braves: Hurston Waldrep (0-0, 3.68 ERA, 1.64 WHIP, seven strikeouts)Pirates: Paul Skenes (6-8, 3.62 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 119 strikeouts)LINE: Pirates -177, Braves +145; over/under is 8 runs Pittsburgh has a 46-45 record overall and a 23-22 record in home games. Pirates hitters are batting a collective .262, which ranks second in the NL.Atlanta has gone 25-19 in road games and 52-37 overall. The Braves have gone 38-14 in games when they record at least eight hits.Tuesday’s game is the fourth time these teams match up this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Pirates: Brandon Lowe leads the Pirates with 21 home runs while slugging .498. Esmerlyn Valdez is 17 for 38 with three doubles, a triple, four home runs and 11 RBIs over the last 10 games.Braves: Matt Olson leads the Braves with 24 home runs while slugging .546. Michael Harris II is 13 for 42 with two home runs and 11 RBIs over the past 10 games.LAST 10 GAMES:Pirates: 5-5, .299 batting average, 5.90 ERA, outscored opponents by six runsBraves: 4-6, .229 batting average, 4.55 ERA, outscored opponents by three runsINJURIES:Pirates: Evan Sisk: 15-Day IL (elbow), Wilber Dotel: 15-Day IL (lat), Chris Devenski: 60-Day IL (illness), Spencer Horwitz: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Oneil Cruz: 10-Day IL (hand)Braves: Martin Perez: 15-Day IL (forearm), Ha-Seong Kim: 10-Day IL (finger), Spencer Strider: 60-Day IL (elbow), Robert Suarez: 15-Day IL (elbow), Ronald Acuna Jr.: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Sean Murphy: 60-Day IL (finger), Spencer Schwellenbach: 60-Day IL (elbow), AJ Smith-Shawver: 60-Day IL (elbow), Joe Jimenez: 60-Day IL (knee), Joey Wentz: 60-Day IL (knee)
PITTSBURGH —
The Pittsburgh Pirates host the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday to begin a three-game series.
TIME: Tuesday, 6:40 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES:
Braves: Hurston Waldrep (0-0, 3.68 ERA, 1.64 WHIP, seven strikeouts)Pirates: Paul Skenes (6-8, 3.62 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 119 strikeouts)
LINE: Pirates -177, Braves +145; over/under is 8 runs
Pittsburgh has a 46-45 record overall and a 23-22 record in home games. Pirates hitters are batting a collective .262, which ranks second in the NL.
Atlanta has gone 25-19 in road games and 52-37 overall. The Braves have gone 38-14 in games when they record at least eight hits.
Tuesday’s game is the fourth time these teams match up this season.
TOP PERFORMERS:
Pirates:
Brandon Lowe leads the Pirates with 21 home runs while slugging .498. Esmerlyn Valdez is 17 for 38 with three doubles, a triple, four home runs and 11 RBIs over the last 10 games.
Braves:
Matt Olson leads the Braves with 24 home runs while slugging .546. Michael Harris II is 13 for 42 with two home runs and 11 RBIs over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES:Pirates: 5-5, .299 batting average, 5.90 ERA, outscored opponents by six runsBraves: 4-6, .229 batting average, 4.55 ERA, outscored opponents by three runsINJURIES:Pirates: Evan Sisk: 15-Day IL (elbow), Wilber Dotel: 15-Day IL (lat), Chris Devenski: 60-Day IL (illness), Spencer Horwitz: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Oneil Cruz: 10-Day IL (hand)Braves: Martin Perez: 15-Day IL (forearm), Ha-Seong Kim: 10-Day IL (finger), Spencer Strider: 60-Day IL (elbow), Robert Suarez: 15-Day IL (elbow), Ronald Acuna Jr.: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Sean Murphy: 60-Day IL (finger), Spencer Schwellenbach: 60-Day IL (elbow), AJ Smith-Shawver: 60-Day IL (elbow), Joe Jimenez: 60-Day IL (knee), Joey Wentz: 60-Day IL (knee)