Pittsburgh Pirates vs Cleveland Guardians

Pittsburgh Pirates at Cleveland Guardians (2026-07-19). Paul Skenes vs Joey Cantillo at Progressive Field.

Starters — Skenes has a 3.57 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 108.1 innings with 10.8 K/9, 1.99 BB/9, and 0.91 HR/9. His last three starts were 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 7 K, 1 BB; 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 K, 1 BB; and 4.0 IP, 7 ER, 5 K, 2 BB. The trend is listed down, but the two most recent outings were steadier and showed his usual strikeout-control profile. Cantillo has a 3.56 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, and 101.0 innings with 9.36 K/9, 4.37 BB/9, and 1.07 HR/9. His last three starts were 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 9 K, 2 BB; 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 7 K, 3 BB; and 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 K, 5 BB. The trend is also listed down, although his recent run prevention has been strong while the walk rate remains the main volatility point.

Teams — Pittsburgh brings the stronger offensive baseline with a .768 OPS, .263 average, and 526 runs scored. The Pirates are also 7-3 over their last 10 games, which supports the idea of a lineup arriving in decent form. Their pitching staff has a 4.30 ERA and 1.32 WHIP, so the edge for Pittsburgh is more clearly on the offensive side than the full staff profile. Cleveland has a .679 OPS, .230 average, and 391 runs, which is a noticeably lighter production level. The Guardians’ staff has been better overall with a 3.73 ERA and 1.26 WHIP, and they are 5-5 in their last 10. That creates a contrast between Pittsburgh’s deeper offensive output and Cleveland’s stronger team run prevention numbers.