The week ahead
At Marlins
6:40 p.m. Tuesday (SN PIT)
6:40 p.m. Wednesday (SN PIT)
1:40 p.m. Thursday (SN PIT)
• The Miami Marlins are one of several teams that the Pirates must leapfrog if they are to eventually reclaim one of the National League’s three wild-card positions. That makes this upcoming week’s three-game series at LoanDepot Park pivotal for both clubs. Second-year manager Clayton McCullough, after overachieving and leading the 2025 Marlins to a 79-83 record, has his club looking to take the next step this season. Six Marlins have at least 10 home runs this year, led by left fielder Heriberto Hernandez and first baseman Kyle Stowers (16 apiece), whereas on the hill, Miami has been able to depend on Max Meyer (9-1, 2.68 ERA) and Sandy Alcantara (12-6, 3.68). Closer Pete Fairbanks has an eyebrow-raising ERA of 6.37 but has still converted 17 saves in 20 opportunities (better than the Pirates’ Gregory Soto, who is 14 of 19 with an ERA of 3.59).
Vs. Red Sox
6:40 p.m. Friday (SN PIT)
7:10 p.m. Saturday (FOX/FOX ONE)
1:35 p.m. Sunday (SN PIT)
• The Red Sox have been one of the most fascinating teams in baseball this season, stemming from their unlikely revival from dead in the water to major postseason contender. In mid-April, skipper Alex Cora was fired amid a 10-17 start, with Chad Tracy taking over. On May 10, the Red Sox were 23-33. Six weeks later, and things had gotten worse as Boston sat at a season-worst 14 games under .500 (32-46). But on June 23, a modest turnaround began, as the Red Sox closed out the month with a 6-2 record. In July, Boston embarked on a 15-game winning streak, tying a franchise record from 1946 and going 21-4 overall in the month. Willson Contreras (23 homers, 70 RBIs, .288 batting average) has arguably been Boston’s top hitter, and Sonny Gray is 14-2 with a 2.78 ERA.