New York Mets at Pittsburgh Pirates

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
NYM	2	0	3	4	1	0	1	0	0	11	15	0
PIT	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	1

Sean Manaea takes the ball for New York looking to salvage the series finale after his team no-showed Saturday's blowout loss. Jared Jones goes for Pittsburgh trying to build on the shutout that snapped his team's four-game skid. First pitch is 1:35 PM ET at PNC Park.

Show fees

FINAL

Spread

ML

Total

Mets(51-67)

LWWWW

11

+1.5-156+130o8.5+106

Pirates(58-61)

WLLLL

1

-1.5+156-133u8.5-106

Best BetPirates -145

Pregame

Pittsburgh's price reflects a team that just got aggressive at the deadline and is finally treating the stretch run like it matters. Jones has been shakier than Manaea in recent outings, but the retooled bullpen behind him changes the math in a game that stays close late. Backing the home side banks on fresher legs and Saturday's statement win, not just the starter.

The Pirates didn't sit on their hands at the deadline. Ben Cherington brought in Camilo Doval, Luke Weaver and Kirby Yates to fix a bullpen that had been one of the league's worst at blowing leads, and Sunday is an early look at whether that overhaul actually holds up in a tight spot. Jones, meanwhile, needs to look nothing like his last outing — 4 innings, 3 earned runs, a loss to Milwaukee — if he wants to hand that new-look pen a manageable lead.

Sean Manaea

(4-5)·4.31 ERA

Aug 4 @ Guardians

W

6.0IP

2ER

7K

5BB

100P

08/09 Lineup

Jared Jones

(2-5)·4.78 ERA

Aug 4 @ Brewers

L

4.0IP

3ER

4K

1BB

83P

08/09 Lineup

New York's issues are more about who's not in the lineup than who's on the mound. Manaea has actually been the more reliable arm of the two lately, but interim manager Andy Green is piecing together an offense without Juan Soto (calf) and Mark Vientos (fractured hand), and rookie Carson Benge is day-to-day with a wrist injury after Friday's win over these same Pirates.

New York Mets

(51-67)

Aug 8L@ Pirates0-9

Aug 7W@ Pirates6-4

Aug 6W@ Guardians13-6

Aug 5W@ Guardians6-5

Aug 4W@ Guardians6-2

Pittsburgh Pirates

(58-61)

Aug 8Wvs Mets9-0

Aug 7Lvs Mets4-6

Aug 6L@ Brewers2-5

Aug 5L@ Brewers2-4

Aug 4L@ Brewers2-4

Momentum is a strange thing in this series. The Mets rattled off 4 straight wins, including a sweep of Cleveland, before getting shut out 9-0 by Pittsburgh to open this set. The Pirates went the other direction — swept by Milwaukee before finally snapping that funk with the shutout. Whichever version of each team shows up Sunday probably decides the rubber match.

New York Mets

(8)

• Day-To-DayCarson Benge (RF) — Benge (wrist) isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Pirates.08/08
• 10-Day-ILJuan Soto (LF) — The Mets placed Soto (calf) on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a strained left calf.07/25
• 10-Day-ILMark Vientos (1B) — Mets interim manager Andy Green said Thursday that Vientos has been diagnosed with a fractured right hand and will be placed on the 10-day injured list, Chelsea Janes of SNY.tv reports.07/10
• 15-Day-ILCionel Perez (RP) — The Mets placed Perez on the 15-day injured list Friday with a left forearm strain.07/31
• 15-Day-ILAustin Warren (RP)
• 60-Day-ILJustin Hagenman (RP) — The Mets announced June 1 that Hagenman (rib) has yet to resume a throwing program, MLB.com reports.07/13
• 60-Day-ILReed Garrett (RP) — The Mets placed Garrett (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.05/08
• 60-Day-ILTylor Megill (SP) — The Mets placed Megill (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.05/08

Pittsburgh Pirates

(5)

• Day-To-DayEndy Rodriguez (C) — Rodriguez is absent from the lineup for Friday's game against the Mets.08/08
• 10-Day-ILRyan O'Hearn (RF) — The Pirates placed O'Hearn on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a left quad strain, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.08/01
• 60-Day-ILOneil Cruz (CF) — Cruz (hand) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.08/07
• 60-Day-ILMitch Keller (SP) — The Pirates placed Keller on the 60-day injured list Monday due to a right arm teres major muscle injury.08/03
• 60-Day-ILKonnor Griffin (SS) — The Pirates transferred Griffin (finger) to the 60-day injured list Saturday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.07/11

Both rosters are banged up in ways that matter. Pittsburgh is still without Oneil Cruz in center and Mitch Keller in the rotation, and catcher Endy Rodriguez has been in and out of the lineup. New York's bullpen took its own hits with Cionel Perez and Austin Warren both on the injured list, which puts more pressure on Manaea to go deep and spare a taxed relief corps. Paul Skenes has said publicly he still believes in this Pirates club — Sunday is a chance to back that up against a division rival on the schedule.