MLB Baseball BETTING PREVIEW - Pittsburgh Pirates @ San Diego Padres

MLB Baseball

2026-08-24 - Pittsburgh Pirates at San Diego Padres

A Sports Betting Preview by FirstDown

Pittsburgh Pirates @ San Diego Padres
United States : Major League Baseball
Monday 24th August 2026 - Scheduled 9:40pm EST
2:40am (British Time)

---

Preview

A three game sweep at the hands of the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers has left the Pittsburgh Pirates (63-69) six games below 0.500 and 8.5 games out of the Wild Card places in the National League. Time is most certainly against the Pirates if they are going to surprise everyone and return to the post-season for the first time since 2015 and even the opportunity to finish with a winning record for the first time since 2018 is beginning to get away from them.

They will begin an important three game series on the road against the San Diego Padres (71-60) who currently occupy the last of the Wild Card spots in the National League. If the Pittsburgh Pirates can sweep this series, they will feel there remains some hope going into the final month of the regular season, but that will also mean slowing down the momentum that San Diego have picked up to move 2 games clear of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Wild Card standings.

While the Pirates were being swept this past weekend, the Padres had the brooms out in a three game inter-League series win over the Minnesota Twins.

It also means San Diego have won eight games in a row at home and they will hand the ball to Robbie Ray in a bid to extend that sequence further.

Robbie Ray earned his trade to a contender by putting a strong year together for the San Francisco Giants, but he has a 1-1 record and 4.20 ERA in three starts for the Padres. It is a small sample of course, but that ERA is over 1.00 wider than the one produced in twenty-two appearances for the Giants and so there remain big expectations on the pitcher's shoulders.

Like so many starting pitchers involved in late trades during the season, the start in a new uniform can be tough and that was the case for Robbie Ray who allowed four runs in 5 Innings thrown against the Houston Astros to take the loss. However, he has bounced back to allow three runs in the last 10 Innings thrown across the last two starts and that will offer the Padres a huge amount of encouragement.

Earlier this season, Robbie Ray threw 6 Innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates and allowed a single run, while being backed up by the Giants batting lineup to earn the win.

San Diego will feel they need the best version of Robbie Ray as they prepare to welcome the Pittsburgh Pirates and Braxton Ashcraft.

The sophomore pitcher has a 13-5 record and 3.68 ERA in twenty-five starts for the Pirates in 2026.

Braxton Ashcraft did have to go through some tough outings in July, but the turn of the month has worked for him and he has a 3-1 record and 2.00 ERA in four starts in August. He has thrown 17 Innings in winning back to back starts and Ashcraft did throw a single Inning last year against the San Diego Padres without giving up a run.

The Padres have already taken two of three on the road against the Pittsburgh Pirates this season.

Prediction

Both starting pitchers are going to believe they can give their team an opportunity to win, but it is the San Diego batting lineup who have shown more consistency at the plate compared with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The home ballpark has become a really tough place for visiting teams to earn a positive outcome with the last eight losing here and San Diego can back up Robbie Ray just enough to edge past Braxton Ashcraft and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Pick :

San Diego Padres 4-2 Pittsburgh Pirates

FIXED ODDS BETTING :

I'll back San Diego Padres to Win at -104 with EveryGame Sports