Pirates at Padres
The Pittsburgh Pirates got their road trip started off on the right foot with a series win at the New York Mets earlier this week and will try to stay hot when they switch coasts and visit the San Diego Padres in the opener of a three-game set on Friday. The Pirates head up to Los Angeles for three games next week before getting 11 straight games at home heading into the All-Star break.
Pittsburgh is closer to last place than first in the National League Central, but the teams are bunched up enough that a strong showing heading into the break could change the team's plans heading toward the July 31 trade deadline. The Pirates showed they have plenty of fight left when they scored four runs in the ninth inning to stun the Mets and earn a 5-3 win in the rubber match on Wednesday, which clinched their first road series win since sweeping a two-game interleague set at the Chicago White Sox on May 8 and 9. The Padres are sitting in last place in the NL West and are losers of nine of their last 11 after dropping the finale of a three-game series at the Texas Rangers on Wednesday. San Diego will likely send left-hander Eric Lauer to the mound on Friday while Pittsburgh counters with righty Joe Musgrove.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, FS San Diego
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Joe Musgrove (2-3, 4.59 ERA) vs. Padres LH Eric Lauer (3-4, 5.05)
Musgrove is trying to avoid a winless June and was rocked for five runs on seven hits and three walks over four innings against Arizona on Saturday. The 25-year-old failed to make it out of the fifth inning in each of his last two starts while allowing a total of 11 runs and 15 hits across 8 1/3 frames. Musgrove is making his first career start against San Diego and just his second on the road in 2018.
Lauer is the most likely candidate to start the series opener in the Padres' unsettled rotation and is hoping to earn a win after being held out of the decision due to lack of run support in each of his last two turns. The rookie surrendered a total of one earned run and eight hits over 12 innings during those two outings. Lauer started at Pittsburgh on May 17 and was not at his best while yielding four runs on six hits and three walks over 4 2/3 frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. Pirates OF Starling Marte needs two steals to reach 200 for his career.
2. Padres OF Wil Myers is 4-for-26 over is last eight games.
3. Pittsburgh RF Gregory Polanco is 5-for-10 with two homers and four RBIs in his last three contests.