Pirates Announce Starting Pitchers vs. Dodgers

His last start vs. the Boston Red Sox at PNC Park on Aug. 14 was a solid one, giving up two earned runs over five innings, with four hits and two walks allowed, while posting five strikeouts.

It wasn't the most perfect of outings, but Chandler worked through some jams and finished the five innings he needed to for the Pirates in the 8-4 win.

Chandler hasn't given up more than three runs in a start after the All-Star break and has just three walks per nine innings now, a big drop from his 5.3 BB/9 pre-All-Star break.

The Pirates rookie has matured quickly in his first season and not let a hit or a walk phase him as he once did, giving him the chance for better outings and working out of tough situations.

Going up against the reigning World Series champions is no easy task, but if there's any Pirates pitcher that is ready for the challenge, it's Chandler.

Jones Bounces Back After Tough Start to August

The beginning of August was a tough time for Jones, who had just come off a great showing in the month of July.

Jones gave up 11 runs and three home runs over seven innings in his first two starts, with three runs over four innings in the 4-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Aug. 4 and eight runs over three innings in an 11-0 loss to the New York Mets at PNC Park on Aug. 9.

He bounced back vs. the Boston Red Sox at PNC Park on Aug. 13, giving up just a solo home run over five innings, four hits and two walks, while striking out seven batters in the 4-0 loss.

Jones worked out of two jams, both with two runners in scoring position in the third inning and fourth inning and came away unscathed, giving the Pirates a chance to go win it later on.

Most encouraging was Jones' using his changeup and curveball more often than he has done, especially after he relied on the four-seam fastball and slider almost exclusively since early July.

It was a big start for Jones after his first two this month didn't go his way and can play a big role on how he finishes this season.

Jones will still be on an pitch limit and innings restriction (85 pitches, five innings), but if he can have effective outings going forward, that will be huge for the Pirates, especially against the Dodgers and Skubal.

Who Starts the Third Game vs. the Dodgers?

The usual answer to this question would be right-handed pitcher Carmen Mlodzinski, who has started his past three games.

Mlodzinski has pitched poorly in those outings, with 13 runs allowed over 8.1 innings pitched for a 14.04 ERA while the Pirates have lost all three games.

He gave up five runs over three innings in the 6-4 loss to the Mets on Aug. 7, allowed four runs over 2.1 innings in the 8-2 loss to the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park on Aug. 12 and gave up four runs over three innings in the 8-5 loss to the Detroit Tigers in the series opener at PNC Park on Aug. 19.

Mlodzinski has struggled massively, as he's given up a 53.8% hard-hit rate (95+ mph exit velocity) and also a .455 batting average allowed, with opposing batters getting on him easily.

The Pirates may go with right-handed pitcher Yohan Ramírez in a spot start and then have Mlodzinski throw in a bulk role after him.

Ramírez succeeded in his first spot start vs. the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on July 30, posting four strikeouts over two scoreless innings.

The Pirates may also go with one of their rookies, such as right-handed pitcher Antwone Kelly, who is on the roster and can take a bulk role for them.

Pittsburgh will have a tough task regardless of who starts this game, but with Mitch Keller out for the season, they need an answer in his absence.