Home / Sports / Ashcraft duel: Can Pirates upset Phillies?
Ashcraft duel: Can Pirates upset Phillies?
29 Jun
Summary
- Braxton Ashcraft has been strong, allowing two runs or fewer recently.
- Aaron Nola's ERA is 5.58, and he's struggled with outs.
- The Pirates won the first five innings of their Monday matchup.
The Philadelphia Phillies return to Citizens Bank Park to face the Pittsburgh Pirates for a four-game series beginning Monday, June 29, 2026. The Phillies enter the series with a 47-37 record, having recently won three of four games in Washington and two of three in New York.
The Pirates, standing at 42-42, are coming off a series win against the Reds, avoiding a sweep with a significant victory on Sunday. They were swept by the Phillies in their last three-game encounter in Pittsburgh last month.
Monday's probable pitchers are Braxton Ashcraft (7-3, 3.07 ERA) for the Pirates and Aaron Nola (3-4, 5.58 ERA) for the Phillies. Ashcraft has been impressive in recent starts, but the Phillies previously tagged him for four runs. Nola, who lasted only 3.2 innings against the Pirates on May 15, has an ERA of 5.58 and has gone under 16.5 outs in most of his starts this season.
The prediction favors the Pirates for the first five innings, given Ashcraft's recent form and Nola's ongoing difficulties, though the Pirates' bullpen is viewed as a potential weakness.
