Pittsburgh Pirates at Cleveland Guardians

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R
PIT	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	0
CLE	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	0

Jared Jones (1-1, 4.37 ERA) gets the ball for Pittsburgh against Gavin Williams (10-4, 3.81 ERA) in a 7:10 PM ET first pitch. Jones is still working back from elbow surgery and remains on a pitch restriction, but his last outing was as good as it gets — 6 innings, 0 runs, 0 hits, 8 strikeouts against Atlanta. Williams was arguably even better in his last turn, spinning 7 innings of 2-run ball with 11 strikeouts against Minnesota.

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FINAL

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ML

Total

Pirates(50-47)

WWWPL

0

+1.5-182+115o7.5+104

Guardians(51-46)

WWWWL

0

-1.5+178-117u7.5-102

Best BetGuardians -130

Pregame

Cleveland's the play here even at a short price. The Guardians are 4-0 in their last 5 and Gavin Williams is pitching like a legitimate top-of-rotation arm, while Pittsburgh's win streak has come almost entirely off the bat with a starter still working under an innings cap. Jones flashing dominance in short bursts is great, but it's not the same as a pitcher who can go 7 and hand the ball to a rested pen.

The bigger question for Pittsburgh isn't whether Jones can be effective, it's how long he'll be allowed to pitch. Between the innings limit and a Pirates bullpen already down Wilber Dotel, Evan Sisk and Chris Devenski, manager Derek Shelton doesn't have a lot of slack if this one turns into a bullpen game early. Cleveland's relief corps has its own dent with Tim Herrin sidelined, but the Guardians have had the deeper, steadier pen for most of the summer.

Jared Jones

(2-2)·3.81 ERA

Jul 8 vs Braves

ND

6.0IP

0ER

8K

0BB

77P

07/17 Lineup

Gavin Williams

(10-6)·3.71 ERA

Jul 9 @ Twins

W

7.0IP

2ER

11K

1BB

103P

07/17 Lineup

Pittsburgh's lineup has been the story of the last week, not the pitching staff. The Bucs put up 7, 3 and 14 runs in a sweep of Milwaukee, and they're doing it without Oneil Cruz, Endy Rodriguez and Spencer Horwitz — all sidelined and all names who'd normally be in the middle of that lineup. Cleveland, meanwhile, still doesn't have Jose Ramirez, who fractured a bone in his hand back in June and remains on a return timeline that points toward late July at the earliest.

Pittsburgh Pirates

(7)

• 10-Day-ILEndy Rodriguez (C) — Rodriguez (hip) is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game versus Atlanta.07/08
• 10-Day-ILSpencer Horwitz (1B) — Horwitz (hamstring) has begun a running program at the Pirates' spring training complex in Florida, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.07/07
• 10-Day-ILOneil Cruz (CF) — Cruz (hand) has resumed swinging a bat, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.07/07
• 15-Day-ILWilber Dotel (RP) — Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that Dotel (lat) will make another rehab appearance with a minor-league affiliate Tuesday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.07/06
• 15-Day-ILEvan Sisk (RP) — Sisk was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday with left elbow inflammation, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.07/04
• 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
• 60-Day-ILChris Devenski (RP) — Devenski (illness) was transferred from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL on Sunday.06/07

Cleveland Guardians

(3)

• 10-Day-ILJose Ramirez (3B) — Ramirez (hand) has been hitting off a tee and is expected to face overhand pitching soon, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.07/05
• 10-Day-ILAngel Martinez (LF) — Martinez (foot) took batting practice Saturday for the first time since landing on the injured list, MLB.com reports.07/05
• 15-Day-ILTim Herrin (RP) — X-rays on Herrin's left elbow came back negative following his removal from Wednesday's game against Minnesota, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.07/09

Even without their best hitter, the Guardians have found another gear. They've won 4 straight, taking two from the Twins and sweeping Miami on the road, and they've done it with a lineup that's had to lean on names further down the depth chart. That kind of stretch matters more in a season where Cleveland and Pittsburgh are separated by a single game — this series has real standings implications for both clubs even if neither is chasing a division title outright.

Pittsburgh Pirates

(50-47)

Jul 12Wvs Brewers14-5

Jul 11Wvs Brewers3-2

Jul 11Wvs Brewers7-6

Jul 10Pvs Brewers0-0

Jul 9Lvs Braves5-10

Cleveland Guardians

(51-46)

Jul 12W@ Marlins5-2

Jul 11W@ Marlins4-1

Jul 10W@ Marlins3-2

Jul 9W@ Twins5-2

Jul 8L@ Twins5-6

Both teams arrive feeling good about themselves, which is rare enough in mid-July that it's worth paying attention to. Pittsburgh's shown it can mash even with holes in the order, and Jones flashing frontline stuff in a limited role is the kind of development that could matter a lot down the stretch if the restrictions come off. Cleveland's counter is boring but effective: a deep rotation, a offense that keeps finding a way, and a home crowd that's seen this team grind out one-run and two-run wins all month.