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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 14: Tomoyuki Sugano #11 of the Colorado Rockies gets set to throw a pitch in the fifth inning during a regular season game against the Athletics at Las Vegas Ballpark on June 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In a game that got a little too close for comfort in the later innings, the Colorado Rockies escaped with a series-opening 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates last night. The second game of the series and the homestand provides the Rockies with another shot at Paul Skenes this season in a top notch pitching matchup against Tomoyuki Sugano.
The Rockies last faced Skenes back on May 12th in a 3-1 loss out at PNC Park. Skenes dominated in that one, working six hitless innings to start the day before ending things after eight innings pitched with 10 strikeouts to just two hits. Michael Lorenzen held his own, but the Rockies offense couldn’t overcome a Skenes masterpiece.
Things have taken a turn for the worse for the Pittsburgh ace since that point in the season. That win against Colorado in May put Skenes at 6-2 on the year with a 1.98 ERA. A month and a half later, he now sits at 6-6, including three straight losses after the Rockies matchup. He’s still finding strikeouts, averaging over seven a game in that span, but he’s also giving up his fair share of hits, averaging nearly six a game during that same stretch, a noticeable jump up from his early season outings.
Skenes’ “struggles”, relatively, highlight his dominance. Even during this winless stretch where his numbers aren’t up to par, he still boasts a 2.85 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP on the year, with the latter good enough for fifth-best in the majors. His 99 strikeouts are top-10, as is his .199 batting average against. Although the Pirates are struggling and the pitching wins aren’t coming, he remains ever dangerous.
Sugano is riding a different wave of fortune into tonight’s matchup, logging wins in his last three starts. Aside from surrendering eight runs in a weird 23-9 win over the Athletics out in Las Vegas, Sugano has looked sharp as of late and has limited runs, giving up three or fewer in five of his last six starts. He enters tonight with a 7-4 record in 14 starts, a 4.54 ERA, and a 1.336 WHIP.
With two strong starters scheduled for this game, and with last night’s affair being decided by one run, the Rox and Bucs could be in for another tight one. Sugano looks to keep things going, while Skenes looks to turn things around. Both have the ability to keep runs off the board early. Like May’s Skenes vs. Lorenzen battle, tonight may come down to whichever offense can string together a slight edge first.
First Pitch: 7:10 pm MDT
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM; KNRV 1150 (Spanish)
PiratesSB Nation Site:Bucs Dugout
Lineups:
Pirates
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