Seattle Mariners Locked in a Battle of Aces on Friday with Pittsburgh Pirates
The Seattle Mariners are coming off one of their most disappointing series losses of the season after getting swept by the Detroit Tigers in the first leg of a nine-game road trip.
The Mariners will begin the second leg of that road trip at 3:40 p.m. PT Friday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Seattle's trio of losses against Detroit put it three games back in the American League West standings and 3.5 games back for the final Wild Card spot in the AL.
The Pirates are in the middle of their own struggles and have dropped 10 straight games. That losing streak dropped the once-playoff hopefuls to 7.5 games behind for the final National League Wild Card spot and to last place in the NL Central — 13.5 games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers.
On paper this should be a get-back game for the Mariners. But they're set to go against one of the best pitchers in the game. And they'll have their own ace on the mound.
Friday will be one of the best pitching matchups of the season when Pittsburgh rookie and 2024 All-Star starter Paul Skenes goes against Seattle starter Logan Gilbert.
Skenes is having one of the best rookie seasons for any pitcher ever. He's almost a lock for NL Rookie of the Year and is in contention for the NL's Cy Young and MVP awards.
He has a 2.25 ERA this season in 15 starts with 115 strikeouts in 92 innings pitched. He's had two games this season where he's fanned 11 batters.
Paul Skenes, Disgusting 94mph Splinker. 🤮 pic.twitter.com/P5cKLc0xeY
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 11, 2024
On the other end — Gilbert has a 2.97 ERA this season in 24 starts with 149 strikeouts in 154.2 innings pitched. Gilbert is tied with Baltimore Orioles starter Corbin Burnes for the most quality starts in the league with 19.
Logan Gilbert, Sick 84mph Splitter. 🤒
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 11, 2024
Only 590 RPMs. pic.twitter.com/1JgtYzlHlZ
Gilbert has bounced back after struggling in his two starts against the Los Angeles Angels on July 23 and the Boston Red Sox on July 30. He's rattled off two straight quality starts against the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets and struck out 13 batters while only giving up seven hits and one earned run in his latest start.
Skenes has been on the opposite trend. He's allowed six combined earned runs of 11 hits in 11.1 innings pitched in his last two starts. But he's also struck out 12 batters.
Two teams in the middle of losing streaks with two of the best pitchers in the game on the mound. Something's got to give.
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