Pittsburgh Pirates @ Philadelphia Phillies - May 18, 2025

Well, well, well! It’s game day, and I’m as pumped as ever to see our boys in action! The Pittsburgh Pirates are gearing up to take on the Philadelphia Phillies today at Citizens Bank Park, and let me tell you, this matchup has all the makings of a nail-biter. If you’re from around here, you know how much we bleed for our teams—especially against those Phillies!

Now let’s break it down! The Pirates will be sending Paul Skenes to the mound. He’s had his ups and downs this season with a record of 3-4 and an ERA sitting at 4.1. It’s not the worst but definitely not where we want him to be if we’re gunning for a win. Skenes does have some strikeout potential with just over 7 strikeouts per game, but he’ll need to keep those walks down and control that zone if he wants to contain that dangerous Phillies lineup.

On the other side of the diamond stands Mick Abel for the Phillies—he’s looking pretty darn good so far with a perfect 0-0 record (talk about pressure-free pitching!). His ERA is just under four which means he can definitely hold his own. With nearly 10 strikeouts per game on average, he’s been racking them up like crazy. Let’s hope he doesn’t figure out his groove too quickly because we’ve seen what those bats can do when they catch fire.

Let’s talk offense because that’s what gets my heart racing! The Pirates have struggled this season—averaging just over 3 runs per game with a disappointing batting average of .216. Not exactly what I’d call an offensive juggernaut! But hey, anything can happen on any given Sunday! They’ve only managed about three RBIs per game which isn’t going to cut it against teams like the Phillies who can score in droves.

Speaking of which—the Phils are averaging almost 5 runs per game and their hitting is looking solid with an average hovering around .253. Those guys are capable of putting up serious numbers; they’ve got speed on the base paths and power in their swings—and that slugging percentage is something every fan should fear!

Given recent matchups, the last time these two faced off ended with Philly taking it home at 5-2 as favorites—and yes, I hate admitting it—but they’re looking stronger coming into today’s battle as they’ve won 14 out of their last 19 games.

With all things considered—I’m leaning toward a victory for our rivals today (don’t throw tomatoes just yet). I see this one being high-scoring; both pitchers might give up some hits and runs amidst all that excitement—so I’m calling for an OVER on total runs scored.

To sum it all up: expect some fireworks today folks! The Phillies seem poised for another win while Pittsburgh needs more than just its lucky jersey on my back to turn things around. Let’s go baseball!