Cincinnati Reds KNOCK OUT Paul Skenes! Noelvi Marte HR beats Pittsburgh Pirates | LIVE MLB Postgame

Nick Kirby and Craig Sandlin will be LIVE in the 9th inning! The Cincinnati Reds visit the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Friday, June 26, for a 6:40 p.m. ET matchup. The Pirates send ace Paul Skenes to the mound to face Reds left-hander Andrew Abbott.

----------------------------------
Check out our partners ⤵️

Get 20% off sitewide at Homage with promo code CHATTER at checkout: homage.com/CBOX

The Anthony Muñoz 78 Cigar! Get your box today: anthonymunoz.com/anthony-...

Enter to win Savannah Banana tickets courtesy of Sharefax Credit Union: www.sharefax.org/thefunancialpodcast

Learn more about our friends at QC Kinetix! Call (513) 655-3356 or visit qckinetix.com

It’s OK not to be OK! Need Help? Call or text 988 DAY OR NIGHT or visit mantherapy.org
-----------------------------------

The Pittsburgh Pirates (41-40) enter this pivotal National League Central series holding a narrow advantage over the Cincinnati Reds (37-42). The Friday opener features an intriguing pitching duel between two arms trending in very different directions regarding team success.

The Pirates hand the ball to reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes (6-7, 2.86 ERA). Despite Skenes' phenomenal personal metrics—highlighted by his 107 strikeouts and microscopic 0.93 WHIP—he and the Pirates have endured an astonishing slump. Pittsburgh has lost the last seven games in which Skenes has started. He will look to end that streak against a scuffling Cincinnati offense that has had trouble producing consistently on the road, where the Reds sit under .500.

Cincinnati turns to left-hander Andrew Abbott (5-4, 3.83 ERA). Abbott has been a steady and durable presence, having pitched at least five innings in each of his last 10 starts. Over his last nine outings, Abbott boasts an impressive 2.34 ERA, holding opposing hitters to a meager .210 average. However, the Pirates' lineup possesses dangerous bats capable of breaking through, and sabermetrics suggest Pittsburgh is due for some positive regression against the southpaw. The Pirates feature a formidable offense ranked highly in team slugging percentage, led by anchor Bryan Reynolds and Marcell Ozuna.

Both bullpens are under intense scrutiny heading into the weekend. The Reds enter the matchup with a heavily taxed pitching staff that just placed setup man Tony Santillan on the injured list, adding further strain to their relief corps as they await the return of closer Emilio Pagán.

With both teams fighting for ground in the highly competitive NL Central, this series is critical for determining the mid-season hierarchy. Skenes' primary objective will be to provide length and shut down a Cincinnati batting order, while Abbott will be tasked with navigating a power-heavy Pittsburgh lineup to keep the Reds in striking distance.