Pittsburgh had all nine pitchers throw over the past two games and Curtis threw the final three scoreless innings<\/a> vs. the Dodgers, meaning he wouldn’t have been available for this upcoming game either.<\/p>\n Aug 23, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Khristian Curtis (64) pitches at the bottom of the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n The Pirates had Bachar and Mlodzinski throw two innings and three innings vs. the Dodgers and with them being veteran options, Curtis misses out as the rookie middle reliever option.<\/p>\n Pittsburgh also used their six higher-leverage options in left-handed options Soto and Montgomery, plus Doval, Ram\u00edrez, Weaver and Yates against San Diego in the first game, so Murdock is important for them to add. <\/p>\n What the Pirates Get From Murdock<\/p>\n Murdock will come in as someone the Pirates will mostly likely come in after starting pitcher Paul Skenes, who is in a slump and it’s unknown how long he’ll make it through the game.<\/p>\n This is the fourth stint for Murdock, who was the 27th man for two doubleheaders<\/a> that he didn’t pitch in and then came back for a third time on July 29, throwing three scoreless innings over two outings.<\/p>\n Jul 30, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Noah Murdock (58) pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in the sixth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n Those two scoreless outings came against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on July 30, two innings, and on Aug. 2, one scoreless inning.<\/p>\n That scoreless inning is a bit of a misnomer, as Murdock came in with the bases loaded and gave up all three runs, but that went on Mitch Keller’s pitching line before he departed.<\/p>\n Murdock has pitched six times since returning to Indianapolis, giving up six runs over eight innings for a 6.75 ERA.<\/p>\n The Pirates should be able to get an inning or two from Murdock, who they hope can help them win a series over a strong Padres <\/p>\n![\"Pittsburgh](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/01m0xhvcqyvwdan5mx6f.jpg\" "\\"Pittsburgh")
<\/p>\n![\"Pittsburgh](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/01m0xj4ggvf6y7bd2t3q.jpg\" "\\"Pittsburgh")
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