Gameday 80: Martin Perez returns as Pirates start series in Atlanta

Pirates face the Braves in a weekend three-game series

Jun 28, 2024

After a day off, the Pittsburgh Pirates begin a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves on the road.

The Pirates are coming off a series win against the Reds and are now two games below .500. The Braves are 1-3 this week after losing two of three against the Cardinals and then dropping a makeup game on Thursday versus the White Sox.

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A familiar face will be on the mound for the Braves on Friday, with 40-year-old Charlie Morton getting the start. He is 4-4 on the season in 14 games played.

Martin Perez will return from the injured list to make his first start since late May, also against the Braves.

First pitch is expected at 7:20 pm ET.

Pirates Lineup

DH - Andrew McCutchen

LF - Bryan Reynolds

SS - Oneil Cruz

1B - Rowdy Tellez

2B - Nick Gonzales

RF - Edward Olivares

3B - Ke’Bryan Hayes

CF - Jack Suwinski

C - Yasmani Grandal

Braves Lineup

CF - Jarred Kelenic

2B - Ozzie Albies

DH - Marcel Ozuna

1B - Matt Olson

3B - Austin Riley

C - Sean Murphy

RF - Adam Duvall

SS - Orlando Arcia

LF - Luke Williams

Pitching Matchup

PIT - Martin Perez (1-3, 4.71 ERA, 57.1 IP, 19 BB, 46 K)

ATL - Charlie Morton (4-4, 4.20 ERa, 79.1 IP, 35 BB, 80 K)

Yesterday’s Feature

Patrick Reilly is having a solid start to the season, leading the Pirates’ system in strikeouts. I looked at some video to see what he was doing so well, and it all started with the fastball.

Bucs On Deck

Patrick Reilly success begins with elevated fastball

When the Pittsburgh Pirates selected Patrick Reilly in the fourth round of the 2023 draft, they knew they were getting a power arm, although one that had struggled with control in college. Seeing his potential, they have him working out of the rotation this year in Greensboro…

5 months ago · 3 likes · 9 comments · Anthony Murphy

Today’s Feature

Another strong outing for Bubba Chandler continues to flash his immense upside. What progress has he made, and just how far can he go up prospect lists?

Bucs On Deck

Bubba Chandler continues to show immense upside in recent stretch

Paul Skenes should graduate this weekend, as he currently has 46.1 innings pitched in the majors. Once he does, there will be a new number-one prospect in the Pirates' system, and after the last couple of weeks, that question has quickly been answered…

5 months ago · 7 comments · Anthony Murphy

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It will also give access to my player feature articles from on-site trips.

Bucs On Deck

Player Observations: Estuar Suero, Miguel Sosa, Jose Regalado

Even though there are a few repeaters, the amount we’ve seen on the Florida Complex League team players is pretty high. So, my trip to Bradenton was an excellent opportunity to see (plus get video) some of the players playing in the FCL. Many people have heard their names, but they haven’t seen many of them in action…

7 months ago · 5 likes · Anthony Murphy

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