Pirates’ Chance to Leapfrog Nationals | MLB News

Pirates face Nationals in a must-win Wild Card showdown—both teams racing toward the trade deadline with the All-Star break looming. Pittsburgh’s hot rookie Esmerlyn Valdez is the key to exploiting Washington’s shaky pitching, while the Pirates’ starters must stay deep to protect a fragile bullpen. With the Nationals’ offense firing on all cylinders, Pittsburgh’s pitchers need to attack early and avoid walks, while the bats must be patient and force weak contact. This series could be the turning point in the Wild Card race—don’t miss it. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/6fdc3e0cc92f44f5