The Buccos will be looking to raise the Jolly Roger as they take on the Phillies in what should be a rocking stadium!
The Pittsburgh Pirates are set to kick off the second half of their season on Friday night against the Philadelphia Phillies, in what is shaping up to be a packed stadium for the first night of Yinzerpalooza weekend.
The Pirates ended the first half of their season with a .500 record and a series sweep of the Chicago White Sox, and were overall playing quality baseball from top to bottom. The team sent Bryan Reynolds and Paul Skenes to Arlington to participate in the All-Star Game, in which both players made big plays for the NL squad. Now it looks like that energy that was brought is rubbing off on the fans as a sellout crowd against an in-state rival is the perfect way to kick off the weekend’s festivities.
Unless I’m seeing things incorrectly on the @MLB Ballpark app, tickets for Saturday’s @Pirates/@Phillies game are SOLD OUT. #LetsGoBucs
— Jake Slebodnick (@_RadioJake) July 18, 2024
Given that Skenes only pitched one inning in the All-Star Game, there is some speculation that manager Derek Shelton had him in mind when putting together Friday’s game plan. If so, this would be an even more electric atmosphere for the game as just a wink from the rookie pitcher can make yinzers go wild. That coupled with the fact that Skenes is already an intimidating force on the mound would make it hellish for any opponent, and it should be no different against Philly.
This kind of excitement is really reminiscent of the 2010s teams with Andrew McCutchen, Gerrit Cole, Starling Marte, and others that were able to really capture the hearts of the fans when they had their small window of success. Pittsburgh sports fans are always some of the most passionate and involved fanbases, but of course if the team is not doing well then it’s hard to turn your stadium into a place that rocks. This Pirates team has the potential to do that. There’s no doubt in my mind that PNC Park is going to be electric on Friday night, and this should be a sign to ownership that people in Pittsburgh care about their baseball team, and hopefully they’ll keep investing in this squad.
The Pirates take on the Phillies Friday night in Pittsburgh at 6:40. As always, lets go Bucs!