Pirates vs Phillies starts June 29 at Citizens Bank Park, with Braxton Ashcraft facing Aaron Nola and the first pitch set for 6:40 p.m. Eastern. The Philadelphia Phillies enter at 47-37, while the Pittsburgh Pirates come in at 42-42.
Braxton Ashcraft and Aaron Nola
Those records put the series in a tight spot for both sides. The Pirates have spent the season at.500, and the Phillies are only six games above it, so this opener arrives with little separation and no cushion for either club.
Ashcraft gets the ball for the Pirates, and Nola starts for the Phillies. That matchup gives this game a clean edge for readers who want the pitching assignment before the first pitch, because the same-day card is already set and the opener is the only game on the board that begins at 6:40 p.m. Eastern.
NBCSP at Citizens Bank Park
The broadcast is on NBCSP, so the viewing plan is simple for fans following the Phillies and Pirates from home. Citizens Bank Park is the setting, and the series format means this game is the first of three between the clubs.
For fans of the Philadelphia Phillies and the Pittsburgh Pirates, that matters more than a standard night game: it is the first read on how these teams match up over three games, with Ashcraft against Nola as the opening test. The one thing still waiting is how the opener plays once the first pitch arrives at 6:40 p.m. Eastern.
