Pirates vs Braves Preview: Skenes vs Elder Sparks Weekend Showdown

Atlanta's hitters are rolling right now. The Braves won yesterday 6-3, and they've won two games in a row. You can see it in the way guys like Dubón and Smith swing—they're looking for their pitches and making contact hard. Pittsburgh's pitchers are giving up runs, and that's not good news heading into Sunday. The Pirates dropped both games here in Atlanta, and their offense scored just three runs twice. That's tough to build on. Atlanta's at 44-21. Pittsburgh sits at 34-31. The Braves smell blood in the water right now.

Bryce Elder takes the mound for Atlanta against Bubba Chandler of Pittsburgh. This is your classic pitcher's duel setup on a Sunday afternoon. Elder's got the Braves' elite pitching staff behind him—think Spencer Strider, Chris Sale, and Raisel Iglesias closing games. Pittsburgh built their rotation around Paul Skenes, their superstar ace. Mitch Keller provides stability behind him. Right now, Atlanta's bullpen looks sharper. The Braves' pitchers are keeping balls down and getting outs when it counts. Pittsburgh's relief corps needs to step up and protect leads.

The Pirates are 34-31, and they're hanging on by a thread. They've lost their last two games here, scoring just three runs each time. That won't cut it against Atlanta's lineup. Dubón homered off the wall—405 feet—yesterday. Smith blasted one over the left field wall too. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh's got guys missing time. Konnor Griffin's dealing with an elbow injury, expected back June 9. Joey Bart (catcher) is weeks away from returning. The Pirates need Chandler to keep Atlanta quiet and need their bats to wake up fast on Sunday.