First Pitch: 1:35 p.m. EDT (MLB.TV / SNY)
Weather: 85°F, dry, light breeze ~6 mph
Venue — PNC Park
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Surface: Natural grass
Dimensions: 325 ft (LF), 399 ft (LC), 410 ft (CF), 375 ft (RC), 320 ft (RF)
Run Environment: Slightly pitcher‑friendly but boosts right‑handed pull power due to the short porch in left.
Current Team Form
Pittsburgh Pirates (58–61)
Last 10: 3–7 (.231 AVG, 4.49 ERA), outscored by six runs
Home Record: 30–29
Strengths: When recording 8+ hits, they are 45–25, indicating strong correlation between contact and wins.
Recent Momentum: Coming off a 9–0 shutout of the Mets on Saturday, drawing nine walks and dominating the strike zone.
New York Mets (51–67)
Last 10: 5–5 (.221 AVG, 3.90 ERA), outscored by three runs
Road Record: 26–33
Weakness: 11–20 in one‑run games—late‑inning execution remains a major issue.
Recent Momentum: Off a 9–0 loss, managing only three hits; bullpen heavily taxed after an early starter exit.
Series History
Season Series: Mets lead 3–2 entering Sunday.
This Series:
Game 1 (Aug 7): Mets 6, Pirates 4
Game 2 (Aug 8): Pirates 9, Mets 0
Game 3 (Aug 9): Series rubber match
Pitching Matchup — Manaea vs. Jones
Sean Manaea — LHP, Mets
Record: 3–5, 4.33 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 95 K
Advanced Metrics: 4.64 xERA, 4.27 xFIP, 14.0% K‑BB%
Profile: Soft‑contact lefty who relies on mixing speeds; struggles to go deep into games (often 5–5.2 innings).
Key Concern: Strikeout prop flagged for regression—analysts project Under 5.5 Ks due to workload limits.
Jared Jones — RHP, Pirates
Record: 2–3, 4.02 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 62 K
Advanced Metrics: 3.33 xERA, 3.58 xFIP, 20.1% K‑BB%
Profile: Power right‑hander with above‑average command (108 Location+).
Key Edge: Better underlying metrics than Manaea; excels at home limiting hard contact.
Key Player Matchups
Mets Offense
Carson Benge: .270 AVG, 15 doubles, 13 HR; day‑to‑day (wrist).
Francisco Lindor: 10-for-40 last 10 games with 2 HR; remains Mets’ most consistent bat.
Juan Soto: 10‑Day IL (calf), major loss to lineup depth.
Matchup Outlook: Jones’ command profile (108 Location+) and lower BABIP (.261) match well against a Mets lineup hitting only .221 over its last 10.
Pirates Offense
Nick Gonzales: Team‑leading .309 AVG, 20 doubles, 6 HR.
Brandon Lowe: 11-for-41 with 3 HR in last 10 games.
Matchup Outlook: Manaea’s elevated BABIP (.316) and lower K‑rate create opportunity for Gonzales and Lowe to continue producing contact‑driven offense.
Injury Reports
Pittsburgh Pirates
Endy Rodriguez — day‑to‑day (hip)
Oneil Cruz — 60‑Day IL (hand)
Mitch Keller — 60‑Day IL (arm)
Ryan O’Hearn — 10‑Day IL (quadricep)
Konnor Griffin — 60‑Day IL (finger)
New York Mets
Carson Benge — day‑to‑day (wrist)
Justin Hagenman — 60‑Day IL (rib)
Austin Warren — 15‑Day IL (forearm)
Juan Soto — 10‑Day IL (calf)
Cionel Perez — 15‑Day IL (forearm)
Mark Vientos — 10‑Day IL (hand)
Reed Garrett — 60‑Day IL (elbow)
Tylor Megill — 60‑Day IL (elbow)
Betting Trends
Pirates at home: 30–29; strong when recording 8+ hits (45–25).
Mets on road: 26–33; inconsistent offense, especially vs. right‑handers.
Totals: O/U set at 8; weather favors moderate scoring (85°F, light breeze).
Prop Trend: Manaea Under 5.5 Ks flagged as best value.
GAME ODDS
New York Mets 8
Pittsburgh Pirates – 138
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Saturday, August 8, 2026
