PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates star pitcher Paul Skenes will make one more home start before the All-Star break.
The Pirates face the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park for their final home series, June 30-July 2, before a nine-game, three series road trip that will close out the first half of the season.
Skenes will make his 18th start of the season vs. the Cardinals on July 1 with a 6:40 p.m. start time, taking on right-handed starting pitcher Andre Pallante.
This is his third start against the Cardinals this season, both of which resulted in defeats for Skenes.
He had his worst start of the season vs. the Cardinals at PNC Park on April 8, his third start of the season, as he allowed a career-high five earned runs over six innings in the 5-3 defeat.
Skenes had a better performance in his last start vs. St. Louis at Busch Stadium on May 6, allowing just two earned runs over six innings, but still took a loss, 2-1, as the Pirates offense failed supporting him.
He is looking for just his second win at PNC Park this season, with his other one coming in a 10-3 defeat of the Washington Nationals on April 14.
Skenes went 0-2 in three starts vs. the Cardinals last season and will go for his first ever win over them this week.
Left-handed pitcher Andrew Heaney makes his 17th start of the season in the series opener, taking on right-handed pitcher Erick Fedde for a 6:40 p.m. first pitch start time on June 30.
Heaney has struggled in his past two outings, allowing seven earned runs in defeats to the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on June 19 in the first game of a doubleheader and to the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Park on June 24.
PNC Park is somewhere Heaney is having success in 2025, with a 2-2 record over seven starts, a 2.95 ERA over 39.2 innings pitched.
This will serve as Heaney's first start vs. the Cardinals this season, where he'll hope that it will get him back in the win column.
Right-handed pitcher Mitch Keller makes his 18th start of the season and will close out the series on July 2, facing Cardinals right-handed pitcher Sonny Gray for a 12:35 p.m. first pitch time.
Keller got his second win of the season in the first game of this homestand, with a 9-1 victory over the New YorK Mets on June 27.
He had his best start of the season in his first start vs. the Cardinals, allowing just four hits and no runs over 7.1 innings pitched in an eventual 2-1 win in extra innings at PNC Park.
Keller allowed three runs over six innings in a 5-0 loss to the Cardinals at Busch Stadium on May 7, the final game before the Pirates fired manager Derek Shelton.
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