The Pittsburgh Pirates head to Progressive Field on Friday, July 17 for a 7:10 PM ET matchup against the Cleveland Guardians, with right-hander Jared Jones getting the ball for Pittsburgh against Cleveland's Gavin Williams. This is an interleague road test that gives the Pirates a clear measuring stick — the Guardians are a well-constructed, competitive club, and how Jones handles their lineup will say plenty about where this Pittsburgh rotation stands heading deeper into the summer.

Pitching Matchup: Jared Jones vs. Gavin Williams

Jones is the headliner here and, frankly, the reason to tune in early. The young right-hander has shown flashes of genuine frontline potential, and starts like this one — on the road against a disciplined lineup — are exactly the kind of outings that define whether a pitcher is ready to be a true top-of-the-rotation arm or still working toward that ceiling. His command and ability to generate whiffs will be the story of the evening for the Pirates.

Williams opposes him for Cleveland. The Guardians' right-hander is a power arm in his own right, and Pittsburgh's hitters will need to be selective and patient to get to him. Williams has the stuff to put up zeros in bunches if the Pirates' lineup falls into an aggressive, first-pitch swinging approach.

Cleveland Lineup to Watch

Cleveland is sending out a lineup with legitimate offensive threats from top to bottom. Travis Bazzana leads off at second base — the Australian-born youngster has established himself as a genuine table-setter at the top of a Guardians order that is built around contact and on-base skills. Brayan Rocchio follows at shortstop, with Chase DeLauter hitting third in right field.

Kyle Manzardo slots in at cleanup at first base, and Rhys Hoskins — a veteran presence — gets the DH spot at fifth. Kahlil Watson, a former first-round pick, hits sixth in center field. The back third of the order features Gabriel Arias at third, Austin Hedges behind the plate, and Steven Kwan — one of the better contact hitters in the American League — batting ninth. That ninth-spot placement for Kwan gives Cleveland a legitimate secondary leadoff threat and makes this a lineup Jones cannot afford to take lightly at any point in the order.

Keys to the Game for Pittsburgh

• Jones keeps the ball down: Cleveland's lineup makes hard contact when pitchers leave balls in the zone. Jones needs to work the bottom of the strike zone and avoid the middle of the plate.
• Handling Steven Kwan: Kwan batting ninth is a nuisance factor. If Jones allows him to reach base and flip the lineup back to Bazzana in key moments, the Guardians can manufacture runs in a hurry.
• Early offensive pressure: Williams is the kind of pitcher who gets stronger as he settles in. Pittsburgh needs to make noise early in the count and in the early innings before he finds his rhythm.
• Bullpen management: Road games against competitive opponents require the Pirates' coaching staff to be sharp about when Jones has hit his limit and who follows him out of the 'pen.

Prediction

This is a tough environment and a tough opponent, but Jones has the ability to keep Pittsburgh in the game. The Pirates steal a close one, 4-3, if Jones gives them five-plus quality innings and the offense can scratch together enough runs against Williams before Cleveland's bullpen takes over. Expect a pitching-dominant game with limited margin for error on both sides. Catch it on SportsNet Pittsburgh or Sports Radio 93.7 KDKA The Fan.