It's a classic NL Central clash under the Friday night lights, as the Pittsburgh Pirates welcome the Cincinnati Reds to PNC Park for a pivotal divisional series opener.
The early-season story in the Central has been the surprising strength of the entire division, with all five teams hovering at or above .500 for weeks. The Reds have been the hottest of the bunch, holding the top spot for the past two weeks. Much of that success can be credited to rookie sensation Sal Stewart, who is currently tearing the cover off the ball, ranking among MLB's leaders in multiple offensive categories and leading the majors with a staggering 29 RBIs.
For the Pirates, they're looking for a strong bounce-back performance. Their ace, Paul Skenes, had an uncharacteristically rough outing against the Cardinals on Thursday, allowing four earned runs—more than he had surrendered in his previous five starts combined. Pittsburgh will turn to veteran Mitch Keller to steady the ship. Despite a slight dip after a blazing start, Keller brings a solid 3.18 ERA into this matchup. He'll face off against Reds starter Brady Singer, who has a 4.97 ERA over six starts this season.
The burning question: who will seize the momentum to start the weekend?
How to Watch: This Friday night showdown won't be on traditional TV. Instead, it's streaming exclusively as part of Apple TV's "Friday Night Baseball" package. New subscribers can catch the action for free during their first week, with a subscription costing $12.99/month after that. The Apple TV app is available on most smart TVs, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and gaming consoles.
Game Details: First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. ET at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. Whether you're tuning in for the rookie star power of Stewart or the gritty pitching duel between Keller and Singer, this is a game no baseball fan will want to miss.
