The Los Angeles Dodgers look to avoid a series sweep by the Pittsburgh Pirates tonight at PNC Park.
Despite dropping the first two games, Los Angeles still holds a 2.5-game lead over the San Diego Padres in the NL West, thanks to their division rival’s own struggles. The Padres were just swept by the last-place Baltimore Orioles.
On Wednesday, the Pirates’ opener strategy worked to perfection. Braxton Ashcraft tossed three scoreless innings, and four relievers combined to blank the Dodgers’ offense in a 3–0 victory.
Another low-scoring matchup could be in store tonight with Blake Snell and Paul Skenes set to square off.
Skenes and Detroit’s Tarik Skubal have been the best two pitchers in baseball this season. Pittsburgh’s ace enters with a 2.05 ERA across 28 starts, holding opposing hitters to a .198 average.
In his last three outings, Skenes has given up just three earned runs in 19 innings — including strong performances against the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays. He pitched a scoreless 6.1 innings in his only prior appearance against the Dodgers this season.
Snell has been sharp since returning in August, posting a 2–3 record with a 2.54 ERA last month. But his last outing, against the Arizona Diamondbacks, was shakier than usual — three runs allowed in 5.1 innings — and featured a dip in velocity. His fastball averaged 93.7 mph compared to 95.2 mph in his previous start, with one mistake pitch leaving the yard. Snell attributed the drop to being away from baseball due to the birth of his second child.
The key to watch tonight will be whether Snell regains his usual velocity early. With Skenes dealing on the other side, even one hittable fastball could decide the game.
Predictions
Skenes gives Pittsburgh the advantage, but a taxed bullpen leaves little margin for error. Even so, the Pirates should edge out another tight, low-scoring win.
Prediction: Pirates 3, Dodgers 2
Starting Lineups
Los Angeles Dodgers
1. Shohei Ohtani – DH
2. Mookie Betts – SS
3. Freddie Freeman – 1B
4. Teoscar Hernandez – RF
5. Michael Conforto – LF
6. Andy Pages – CF
7. Hyeseong Kim – 2B
8. Miguel Rojas – 3B
9. Dalton Rushing – C
Starting Pitcher: Blake Snell (LHP) – 3–3, 2.41 ERA
Pittsburgh Pirates
1. Jared Triolo – SS
2. Nick Gonzales – 2B
3. Bryan Reynolds – RF
4. Tommy Pham – LF
5. Andrew McCutchen – DH
6. Nick Yorke – 1B
7. Alexander Canario – CF
8. Henry Davis – C
9. Cam Devanney – 3B
Starting Pitcher: Paul Skenes (RHP) – 9–9, 2.05 ERA
How to Watch Dodgers vs. Pirates
First pitch for tonight’s Dodgers–Pirates game is set for 6:40 PM Eastern / 3:40 PM Pacific at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
The game will air on SportsNet LA and SportsNet Pittsburgh locally. Out-of-market fans can stream the game at MLB.TV.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
Date: Thursday, September 4, 2025
First Pitch: 6:40 PM Eastern / 3:40 PM Pacific
Venue: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
TV: SportsNet LA, SportsNet Pittsburgh
Streaming: MLB.TV
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