The Pittsburgh Pirates will be turning to a key reliever in the biggest game of their season against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are getting ready to open a huge three-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers that starts tomorrow.
Pittsburgh is still fighting for its playoff life, sitting multiple games back of the final wild-card spot in the National League. While the odds may not be in their favor, the Pirates are hoping that they can keep fighting, getting something to go their way in the standings.
In the series opener against Milwaukee, the Pirates will be turning to an opener due to injuries. Right-hander Lake Bacher will take the mound for Pittsburgh to start the game, and his outing could really set the tone for the rest of the contest.
Bacher has made 48 appearances (nine starts) this season for the Pirates, posting a 3.52 ERA during this time. Pittsburgh has relied heavily upon Bacher throughout the year, and now they will be calling on him to deliver in arguably the biggest game of the season.
The right-hander has faced the Brewers three times this season. But he hasn't started against the best team in baseball this season.
Here is how he has fared in his three outings so far:
April 18: 2.1 innings, zero runs allowed, zero hits allowed, two walks, and one strikeout
July 17: 0.2 innings, one run allowed, one hit allowed, one walk, and two strikeouts
August 5: 2.0 innings, one run allowed, two hits allowed, one walk, and two strikeouts
Bacher has typically gone one-to-two innings as an opener, giving some relief to the bullpen guys. If he can put together this type of performance again, it could help Pittsburgh get some breathing room.
The Pirates will be facing off against Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski, who is currently the favorite to win the NL Cy Young Award. Misiorowski will be a lot for the Pirates to handle on his own, making it more crucial for Bacher to put together a solid outing.
While going to a relief pitcher in this situation isn't ideal, the Pirates will have to live with where they are currently. Pittsburgh has been much more competitive this season, and they do still have a fighting chance at the playoffs.
It will take a lot to go their wya over the final two weeks of the regular season, but this team won't be giving up anytime soon. And if somehow they can go on a magical playoff run, this squad could do some damage, but it all starts with this game against the Brewers.
