Pride is the only thing on the line in this contest, as the Pirates have fallen too far behind to matter in the NL Wild Card race.
Well, it’s a battle of pretty sweet starting pitcher names, too. Lake Bachar vs. Blade Tidwell? It doesn’t get better than that.
Who will take this 12:35 p.m. ET rubber match? Let’s dive into this National League tilt and make a couple picks on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
Giants vs. Pirates prediction, preview
Blade Tidwell was recalled to the big leagues at the beginning of August, as the trade deadline created a couple holes in the Giants’ rotation. Through five starts for San Francisco, I think it’s fair to say the experience has been up and down. To wit, Tidwell’s allowed two earned runs or fewer in three of the outings, but exactly six earned runs in the other two — August 16 against the Rockies and August 28 against the Diamondbacks. Still, across 37.2 innings at the MLB level in 2026, Tidwell sports a very respectable 3.66 xERA. He’ll have to tidy up his struggles with opposing LHBs, as those within the split are slashing .292/.393/.500, but all in all, it’s been a perfectly decent audition for Tidwell to break camp with the Giants next year.
Meanwhile, Lake Bachar also found himself on the move at the trade deadline, but that’s because he was dealt between the Marlins and the Pirates. Bachar will “start” this afternoon’s contest for Pittsburgh, yet you can probably expect him to pitch a little deeper than your average opener. The right-hander has completed at least two innings in six of his eight appearances with the Pirates, even going three frames in a start versus the Red Sox back on August 16. Carmen Mlodzinski will also likely be involved in today’s pitching plan for Pittsburgh. The 27-year-old has been far, far better as a reliever in 2026, so he does make a lot of sense as a “bulk” option. Mlodzinski has maintained a 2.26 ERA out of the bullpen and he’s held opposing hitters to a .207 average in those appearances. As a starter? Batters are hitting .327 and Mlodzinski’s got a 5.85 ERA.
Regardless of who is on the mound for the Pirates, there’s really only one goal: Slow down Rafael Devers. The infielder was being considered a bit of a bust after a sluggish April, but on the whole, Devers has been quite good in 2026, smashing 32 home runs and posting a 129 wRC+. With that said, he’s taken things to a whole other level since the middle of August. In his last 78 plate appearances, Devers is slashing .328/.449/.750 with eight home runs and a .422 ISO. Coming into Thursday, he’s gone deep in three straight contests and he’s riding an active 10-game hit streak. The Giants might not have many “household” names left in their lineup, but they have Devers.
Giants vs. Pirates pick, best bet
Best Bet: Giants ML (+136)
This is the kind of matchup where you take a shot on the underdog at plus-money. The Pirates are using a bullpen day and on top of that, across the past two weeks, the team sits 29th in ISO (.100), expected wOBA (.285) and wRC+ (74). Pittsburgh self-destructed in August. They’re not a team to trust or fear.
