Pirates vs Rockies Preview: Ace Skenes Surges in Coors Field

The Pirates roll into Colorado sitting 38-39 after dropping their last two games. You can feel the pressure building. Pittsburgh came close yesterday—they battled back from down 4-2, with Gonzales crushing a triple to right that tied things up. But then Fulford answered back with a double in the eighth, and the Rockies walked away with the 4-3 win. Now Jared Jones takes the mound for Pittsburgh. The young pitcher is still finding his rhythm at this level, carrying a 7.88 ERA into Sunday. If the Pirates want to bounce back, their hitters need to get hot early and put pressure on Colorado's arms.

Colorado caught fire with back-to-back wins, and now Michael Lorenzen gets the ball at Coors Field. The veteran has been sharp lately—his 3.19 ERA and 1.21 WHIP show he knows how to eat innings. Pitching in Denver is never easy. The thin mountain air at Coors makes every mistake fly farther and harder. Still, Lorenzen has the experience to battle through it. The Rockies' hitters struck early yesterday too. Rumfield launched a bomb to right—427 feet of pure distance—that gave Colorado an early cushion. If the Rockies can build another early lead and Lorenzen keeps Pittsburgh off balance, they could make it three straight.

Here's the thing about Sunday's matchup: both teams have momentum working against them or for them. The Pirates are hurting—Oneil Cruz is out for weeks with hand fractures from a hard slide, and they can't afford to fall further back. They need Jones to pitch better than his season average suggests. The Rockies smell blood. Two straight wins at home. Lorenzen dealing. Yesterday they proved they can come from behind and close games tight. Coors Field belongs to Colorado. The altitude, the thin air, the long ball—it all favors the home team. This game could swing either way, but the Rockies have the advantage today.