Pittsburgh Pirates (15-31) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (27-18)
Game Details: Sunday, May 18, 2025 @ 1:35 pm EST
Location: Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
P. Skenes (R) vs. M. Abel (R)
Where to Watch: MLB.TV
The Pittsburgh Pirates will try to avoid the sweep against the Philadelphia Phillies. They were down 5-0 by the fourth inning yesterday, and a ninth-inning home run avoided the shutout. Pittsburgh is sending out the right person to the mound to try to stop the bleeding. Paul Skenes has been one of the few bright spots this year for the Pirates. The Phillies called up Mick Abel from Triple-A to make his big league debut in a spot start due to injuries. Can Skenes slow down the Philadelphia offense, or will the Phillies complete the sweep?
Betting Odds
| Team | Spread | Total Runs | Money Line |
 | -1.5 (+145) | Over 8 (-108) | -112 |
 | +1.5 (-175) | Under 8 (-112) | -108 |
Apex Tale of The Tape
| Team Stats | |
| 3.07 | Runs/G | 4.70 |
| .220 | BA | .258 |
| .301 | OBP | .337 |
| .327 | SLG | .401 |
| .628 | OPS | .738 |
| 32 | HR | 45 |
| 49 | SB | 39 |
| 4.11 | ERA | 3.90 |
| 1.28 | WHIP | 1.26 |
| 7.36 | K/9 | 9.69 |
| .983 | Fielding Percentage | .990 |
| 8 | Saves | 14 |
Projected Starting Pitchers H2H
| Paul Skenes | Player Stats | Mick Abel |
| 3-4 | W/L | N/A |
| 2.63 | ERA | N/A |
| 54.2 | IP | N/A |
| 1.01 | WHIP | N/A |
| 53 | K | N/A |
| 15 | BB | N/A |
Key Stats
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates haven’t been able to generate much offense against the Phillies’ pitching staff. In the first two games, they have combined to go 11 for 63 with 19 strikeouts. Only three Pirates recorded a hit yesterday. Oneil Cruz continued his slump, going 0 for 4 yesterday in the leadoff spot. In the month of May, he is 6 for 32 with 15 strikeouts.
Paul Skenes is a perfect example of why a win-loss record can be deceiving. He is in the top 25 in the majors in ERA (16th), strikeouts (24th), and WHIP (13th). In his last outing against the New York Mets, he tossed 6.0 innings, giving up six hits and one earned run while striking out six. His stuff is elite, but when your offense only scores a hair over three runs per game, it is hard to pick up wins.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies came out of the gate hot, building up a 5-0 lead by the end of the fourth inning yesterday. Leadoff hitter Bryson Stott stole the show yesterday, going 2 for 5 with 3 RBIs and a stolen base. Kyle Schwarber continued his stellar season, picking up his 35th RBI of the season. Philadelphia has amassed 19 hits in the series so far.
Due to injuries in the rotation, Mick Abel will make his major league debut. He was the 15th overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft but has struggled with control throughout his minor league career. This season, he has seemingly solved that problem. This season, he is 5-2 with a 2.53 ERA in eight starts for the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. The Phillies have made it clear this is a spot start, and Abel will head back down to Triple-A after the game.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Philadelphia Phillies Betting Trends
| Betting Stats | |
| 3-7 | W/L 10 | 7-3 |
| 18-28 | ATS | 23-22 |
| 17-26-3 | O/U | 20-24-1 |
Prediction
Vegas respects Paul Skenes. And is probably also nervous about a pitcher making his major league debut, not because the team thinks he is ready for the majors, but because of injuries. If there was an opportunity for the Pirates, this is it. Given everything I’ve read the Phillies say about Abel, I don’t think he’ll have a long leash. Any sign of huge trouble, and they’ll pull him, making it difficult to capitalize on the first-time starter. Skenes will be solid, but I see the Phillies’ offense exploding late.
