Bubba Chandler, Lake Bachar Open Marlins - Pirates at 35-35

The marlins - pirates game at PNC Park started with both clubs sitting at 35-35 through 70 games. Pittsburgh had dropped two straight, including an 8-3 loss in the series opener, so this one carried real weight for a pair of teams matched on the standings line.

Chandler Against Bachar

Bubba Chandler took the mound for Pittsburgh against Lake Bachar, giving the game a starter matchup that fit the records. Chandler entered at 2-7 with a 4.91 ERA, while Bachar came in at 0-0 with a 2.97 ERA.

Chandler had gone five innings or more in each of his last four starts, but he had only one win in that stretch. That left the Pirates trying to turn workload into a result, not just another long outing.

Miami Turns To Bachar

Bachar was making his fourth career start and his third opener role this season. He had thrown 2.2 innings without allowing a hit on June 2, and in his second start against the Tampa Bay Rays he kept nobody off base across three innings.

Miami also leaned on its pitching group the night before, when Sandy Alcantara threw eight innings. That left Bachar in a different kind of spot than a standard starter, with the Marlins using him as part of a broader staff plan rather than a traditional rotation look.

PNC Park Pressure

The matchup brought the standings into sharp focus because both teams arrived level at 35-35. Pittsburgh had already lost the opener 8-3, so another defeat would deepen the gap in a series built around two teams chasing the same record line.

For the Pirates, the cleanest path was simple: get Chandler another deep start and convert it into a win. For the Marlins, Bachar’s latest turn asked whether an opener can keep matching a club that already knew the pressure of trying to stop a skid at home.