The Pittsburgh Pirates didn’t come out with any juice in their first game after the All-Star break and were defeated 10-1 by the Chicago White Sox at PNC Park on Friday night.

Bailey Falter’s struggles continued and the offense did what it has done for most of the season.

The Pirates (39-59) will look to rebound against the White Sox (33-65) in the second game of the series on Saturday 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

Partly cloudy skies with temperatures in the lower 80s. Winds WSW at 3-5 mph.

RHP Mike Burrows (1-3, 4.83 ERA) Will Start for the Pirates

Burrows had a rough final start before the break, when he allowed six runs in 1.1 innings against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday.

In his last seven starts entering his most recent, Burrows had posted a 2.30 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 31.1 innings.

Since allowing four runs in five innings in his first start of the season at home, Burrows has a 3.37 ERA over his last four starts at PNC Park.

This will be his first time pitching against the White Sox and his third-straight inter-league start.

RHP Adrian Houser (5-2, 1.56 ERA) Will Start for the White Sox

Houser allowed one run across seven-strong innings against the Toronto Blue Jays in his last start on July 9.

The veteran right-hander has worked at least seven innings in each of his last three starts and has only been charged with one earned run over that stretch.

The White Sox are 6-3 in games started by Houser this season and are 27-62 in games started by any other pitcher.

In 16 career appearances against the Pirates, Houser is 4-3 with a 4.03 ERA.

White Sox Hitters vs. Burrows

Pirates Hitters vs. Houser

Bryan Reynolds: 7 for 25, one double, one home run, two RBI, three walks, two strikeouts
Ke’Bryan Hayes:  5 for 20, one walk, three strikeouts
Tommy Pham: 6 for 12, four walks, three strikeouts
Andrew McCutchen: 2 for 7, one RBI, one walk
Jack Suwinski: 1 for 6, one home run, two RBI, two walks, two strikeouts
Henry Davis: 0 for 5
Oneil Cruz: 1 for 4, one home run, two RBI, one walk, three strikeouts
Isiah Kiner-Falefa: 1 for 4, one RBI
Nick Gonzales: 2 for 2, one double, one RBI

Tidbits

The Pirates had not allowed a run over their last 31 innings at PNC Park entering Friday’s game. The last time an opponent scored against the Pirates in Pittsburgh was the New York Mets in the fifth inning on June 29.
After posting the third-best ERA in baseball in May, Bailey Falter has a 5.60 ERA over his last eight starts since the beginning of June.
Oneil Cruz stole his 30th base of the season in Friday’s loss. He became the first Pirate to notch 30 steals in a season since Starling Marte in 2018.

Links

Perrotto: Liover Peguero Needs Fair Shot

Bailey Falter in Familiar Rough Patch; What’s the Solution?

Bad Break: Pirates Start Second Half With Dreadful Loss to White Sox

Pirates Roster Moves: Peguero Recalled From Triple-A, Positive Update on Oviedo

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