Gameday 125: Jared Jones on the mound as the Pirates look to clinch series against the Red Sox

The Pittsburgh Pirates look to clinch their three-game weekend series against the Boston Red Sox on Saturday after taking the opener on Friday.

Bubba Chandler put together a strong outing, and the offense finally came alive against a left-handed starting pitcher. Rafael Flores picked up three hits, including a home run, and the offense scored eight runs on nine hits.

Now, Jared Jones will take the mound for the Pirates, as he looks to rebound after a tough start against the Mets. He has allowed 11 earned runs in two starts this month, spanning seven innings.

That follows a July in which he posted a 2.00 ERA over 27 innings pitched. Boston will send Sonny Gray to the mound in game two.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 pm ET.

1B - Spencer Horwitz
2B - Brandon Lowe
DH - Bryan Reynolds
LF - Esmerlyn Valdez
RF - Ronny Simon
SS - Jacob Gonzalez
CF - Jake Mangum
C - Rafael Flores
3B - Jared Triolo

DH - Masataka Yoshida
CF - Ceddanne Rafaela
C - Adley Rutschman
1B - Willson Contreras
RF - Wilyer Abreu
3B - Caleb Durbin
LF - Jarren Duran
SS - Andruw Monasterio
2

PIT - Jared Jones (2-4, 5.03 ERA, 59 IP, 65 K)

BOS - Sonny Gray (14-3, 2.79 ERA, 125.2 IP, 110 K)

Rafael Flores focuses on mental, social aspects

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Aug 15

Coming off one of his best games as a professional on Thursday with a pair of home runs and throwing out an attempted base stealer, while helping lead Braxton Ashcraft to a complete game, Rafael Flores Jr. has to feel inflated.

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Bucs on Deck: Pittsburgh Pirates 2026 Midseason Update

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Jun 25

The Pittsburgh Pirates have seen a major shift at the top of their system, having their two best prospects graduate to the majors. That would usually leave most organizations searching for talent, but the Pirates still have one of the top prospects in the game, Seth Hernandez, who tops the Bucs on Deck 2026 midseason update.

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