Pirates vs A's Preview: Ashcraft vs Civale Sparks Week 64

The Pirates rolled into Oakland hungry for a win. They lost their last two games, dropping to 36-37 on the season. Yesterday's game was close—Pittsburgh fought hard but fell short 6-5. That's the kind of game that stings. You can see the Pirates have talent, but injuries have hit them hard. Oneil Cruz is out for weeks with a hand injury. Konnor Griffin is healing from a forearm strain. The Pirates need Braxton Ashcraft to pitch strong today and give the offense a chance to score early.

The Athletics just won their last game and are riding high at 36-36. Aaron Civale takes the mound today after missing time with a shoulder injury. He looked great in his rehab start, striking out seven batters in perfect innings. Civale is a veteran pitcher with years of big-league experience. He knows how to compete. Oakland's bats have been loud lately—look at yesterday's wild game where they scored runs in bunches. If Civale can eat innings and keep hitters off balance, the Athletics have a real shot at winning this one.

Want to see offense? Yesterday's game had it all. The Pirates got homers from Bryan Reynolds—twice!—and Adam Lowe smacked one in the ninth to seal the win. The Athletics fought back with their own power, including a home run from Gelof. Games like that show you both teams can swing it. Today's matchup matters because Oakland is right on Pittsburgh's heels in the standings. Both squads are near .500. One more win could push a team forward. Ashcraft versus Civale—this is a pitcher's duel with playoff stakes written all over it.