Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Los Angeles Dodgers: What To Expect

It is the veteran talented team against the young guns as the Pittsburgh Pirates welcome in the defending World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers. They are trying to take advantage of the unknown and surprise the defending champions.

A three-game series begins at PNC Park today at 7:05 pm that pits a defending World Series Champion against a team who is looking towards the future in a rebuild mode. It kind of sounds like a match-up between David and Goliath. However, that is the scenario when the Pittsburgh Pirates welcome in the Los Angeles Dodgers for a three-game series at PNC Park. After dropping six games in a row, the Pirates came back strong, winning three out of four games against the Miami Marlins to get their record to 23-35. 58 games into the season, the Pirates are already showing a lot of improvement over last season, and are continuing to look to add more and more talent into the Minor League system.

However, they have some exciting players in the Big Leagues right now, as guys like Bryan Reynolds, Ke'Bryan Hayes, and Colin Moran look to power the Pirates into the future. On paper, this looks like an easy sweep for the Dodgers as they move through their season. However, if there is one thing the Pirates have shown this year, it is fight and an unwillingness to back down. Even in their biggest loss of the season, a 20-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves, the Pirates continued to fight through the entire game. The Pirates have gotten some guys back from injury, and have momentum on their side. They are looking to take this momentum and use it to their advantage as they take on the defending World Series Champions.

Scouting the Dodgers

At the beginning of the 2021 season, the Los Angeles Dodgers looked like they were a team on a mission. Many said their 2020 World Series win was a fluke due to the 60-game season. So, they came out of the gates 13-2 over their first 15 games, and we're showing they weren't messing around. However, they have since come back down to Earth and are on the downswing recently. They have lost three of their last five games, and are just 3-6 over their last five games. They are coming off of a series where they dropped two out of three games to the Atlanta Braves, but enter an easier stretch of their schedule as they take on the Pirates, Texas Rangers, and Philadelphia Phillies.

While their offense was star-studded names like Mookie Betts, Cody Bellinger, and Justin Turner, it is the Dodger pitching that has carried them this season. As a staff, they rank fourth in the MLB with a 3.26 ERA and have tied for the seventh-fewest runs allowed. The Pirates will feel the full wrath of that pitching staff right away as they face Walker Buehler in the opener. Buehler isn't the most well-known pitcher on the Dodgers staff, but aside from Trevor Bauer, he has been the best. Buehler ranks 19th in all of baseball with a 2.82 ERA and has turned in four straight quality starts. On the offensive side, Mookie Betts has had a slow start to the season but has turned things up as of late hitting .300 over his last seven games. With him and Cody Bellinger back in the lineup, Pirates pitching will have to be on their game to keep their team in it.

Ride The Top of The Order

The Pirate's best chance for success in this series comes in scoring early and scoring often. If they are able to stake their pitchers to a lead early, it will help give them some confidence right from the get-go. Luckily for the Pirates, their first four hitters are all back in the lineup and are proving to be a powerful force. Adam Frazier is the MLB hits leader, Ke'Bryan Hayes is coming into his own, Bryan Reynolds has found his power stroke, and Colin Moran is healthy and contributing once again. Having all four of these guys at the top of their games is vital for the Pirate's success, as they all try to continue their hot streaks.

As a team, the Pirates rank 12th in all of baseball with a .253 batting average in the first inning and 15th hitting .228 in the second inning. The Pirates are right in the middle of the road scoring 29 runs in the first inning. Leading the way on the team with a first-inning batting average is Adam Frazier hitting .275 in the first inning of games this season. With Frazier and Hayes getting on base consistently, it is setting up the Pirates for early success with the middle of the order. If these guys can get the Pirates out to a strong start, it will give the Pirates pitchers more confidence on the mound, and allow them to attack the strike zone throughout the game.

Attack Attack Attack

When the Pittsburgh Pirates pitchers have been most successful this year, it is because they are consistently attacking the strike zone. Guys like JT Brubaker, Miguel Yajure, and Tyler Anderson all have strike percentages over the 60% mark, and in turn, have put up good numbers this year. Just because you are facing a more potent Dodgers lineup does not mean that this has to change. If the Pirates can change speeds effectively, and consistently attack the strike zone, they are in line to have some success in this series. Game one usually sets the tone for the entire series, and the Pirates have their best kicking things off in JT Brubaker.

Aside from one bad start, Brubaker has been electric in his first full Big League season. He has allowed three earned runs or less in eight of his 10 starts and has gone 5.0 or more innings in nine out of 10. The key to Brubaker's success is that he has shown no fear on the mound, and attacks the strike zone at a 66% clip. The big problem for Brubaker has been the long-ball, as he has given up 10 home runs in his 10 starts. A team like the Dodgers is inevitably going to hit some home runs, but the key is to not let that best you. If Brubaker can attack the strike zone and limit the amount of runners on base when home runs happen, he could set the tone in a series where not much is expected of the Pirates. David took down Goliath once before, now it is time to see if he can do it again.

The Pittsburgh Pirates (23-35) open up their three-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers (34-25) tonight at 7:05 pm. JT Brubaker (4-4, 3.74) takes the mound for the Pirates looking to continue his strong season against Walker Buehler (4-0, 2.82) for the Dodgers. You can watch the game live on AT&T Sportsnet, listen on 93.7 The Fan, or follow along with us on Twitter by following @Buccos_Cove.

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