Pittsburgh Pirates News

Home

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

Pirates Change Entire Infield Before Red Sox Game

Jul 19, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Nick Gonzales (3) rounds third base en route to scoring during the second inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Pirates Change Entire Infield Before Red Sox Game

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI
By Dominic Campbell | Last updated Aug 14, 2026 4:52 PM ET

Add us as a preferred source on Google

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates begin a new series and will have a different infield than the one they had in their last game.

The Pirates have Nick Gonzales at third base, Jared Triolo at shortstop, Brandon Lowe at second base and Rafael Flores Jr. playing first base to round out their infield ahead of the series opener vs. the Boston Red Sox at PNC Park on Aug. 14.

Shortstop Jacob Gonzalez and first baseman Spencer Horwitz started in the 13-1 win over the Miami Marlins in the series finale at loanDepot Park on Aug. 13 and will sit.

Gonzales was at second base, Triolo was at third base, Lowe was at designated hitter and Flores was catcher, making for a new infield for the Pirates.

Why the Pirates Made All These Infield Changes

The Pirates are facing Red Sox left-handed starting pitcher Jake Bennett and they are making adjustments against the southpaw.

Pittsburgh has struggled against left-handed pitching in 2026, batting .243/.310/.380 for an OPS of .690, with a 10-26 record when they face a left-handed starting pitcher this season and 2-9 since the All-Star break.

The Red Sox southpaw has been great against left-handed hitters, with a slash line of .181/.253/.181 for an OPS of .434, so the Pirates won't have left-handed hitters in Gonzalez and Horwitz, while having both right-handed hitters in Flores and Triolo.

Flores was excellent in the win over the Marlins, hitting two home runs, including a three-run home run off of left-handed relief pitcher John King in the eighth inning.

Triolo is also coming off a great game, with a two-run single with the bases loaded and a solo home run, just his second home run of the season.

He has been the best hitter for the Pirates in the second half of 2026, batting .319/.418/.404 for an OPS of .822, with 15 hits in 47 at-bats, one double, one home run, eight RBI, seven walks to 10 strikeouts and three stolen bases.

Gonzales, another right-handed hitter, will move to third base and Lowe, a left-handed hitter who does struggle against lefties, will get a chance to change the narrative against Bennett.

What Pirates Lineup Looks Like vs. Red Sox

Player	Position	Batting Side
Nick Gonzales	Third Base	Right
Ronny Simon	Designated Hitter	Switch
Bryan Reynolds	Left Fielder	Switch
Esmerlyn Valdez	Right Fielder	Right
Brandon Lowe	Second Base	Left
Rafael Flores Jr.	First Base	Right
Jake Mangum	Center Field	Switch
Jared Triolo	Shortstop	Right
Henry Davis	Catcher	Right

Gonzales takes over from Horwitz as the leadoff hitter, Lowe drops down to fifth, hitting in that spot for just the third time this season, while Flores moves up three spots to sixth, the highest he's hit in the lineup this season.

Switch-hitter Ronny Simon will serve as designated hitter for the fourth time this season and bats second, his second time doing so for the Pirates in 2026.

Right fielder Esmerlyn Valdez will hit fourth for the first time in a week, last doing so vs. the New York Mets at PNC Park on Aug. 7, and he's hit better in his past five games, with five hits in 17 at-bats.

Left Fielder Bryan Reynolds bats third, center fielder Jake Mangum bats seventh and Henry Davis is back in at catcher and bats ninth.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: