The Pittsburgh Pirates make the trip to Rate Field on Wednesday, September 9 for a 7:40 PM ET matchup against the Chicago White Sox. Lake Bachar gets the start for Pittsburgh against Chicago's Davis Martin in what shapes up as a late-season regular season contest between two clubs still grinding through the final weeks of September. Catch the game on SportsNet Pittsburgh locally or tune in on Sports Radio 93.7 KDKA The Fan.

Pitching Matchup: Lake Bachar vs. Davis Martin

Lake Bachar draws the start for the Pirates. Bachar has worked his way into Pittsburgh's rotation conversation, and this road start gives him a chance to show what he can do in a meaningful September environment. The Pirates will need innings from him — bullpen management in the final month of the season matters, and a quality start from Bachar goes a long way toward preserving the relief corps.

On the other side, the White Sox send right-hander Davis Martin to the mound. Martin is a groundball-oriented pitcher who works to generate soft contact and keep the ball in the yard. Pittsburgh's lineup will need to be patient and work counts if they want to get into Chicago's bullpen early.

Chicago White Sox Lineup to Watch

The White Sox are running out a lineup with some legitimate offensive threats. Munetaka Murakami slots into the three hole at first base — a power bat capable of doing damage against any pitching. Andrew Benintendi hits second as the designated hitter and brings a disciplined approach to the plate. Randal Grichuk bats cleanup in left field, adding another right-handed pop threat. Colson Montgomery and Braden Montgomery round out the middle of the order at third and right field respectively, giving Chicago a deep enough lineup to punish any mistakes Bachar leaves over the plate.

Pittsburgh's lineup for Wednesday had not been released at the time of this preview, so the Pirates' offensive construction remains to be seen — but the pitching matchup and the Chicago order tell us plenty about where this game will be won or lost.

Keys to Watch Wednesday Night

• Bachar's command: Against a lineup with power throughout — Murakami, Grichuk, Benintendi — Bachar cannot afford to fall behind hitters. Walks become extra-base situations fast in that middle of the order.
• Exploiting White Sox pitching: Martin can be vulnerable when hitters stay disciplined. Pittsburgh needs to work the count and punish fastballs in the zone rather than expanding off the edges.
• Situational hitting: Late-season games have a way of being decided by one or two swings. Runners in scoring position with two outs will define this one.
• Bullpen depth: If Bachar doesn't go deep into the game, Pittsburgh's relief arms will need to hold a Chicago lineup that has enough pieces to string together runs.

Prediction

This is a hard game to project cleanly without full stat lines in front of us, but the White Sox lineup carries enough pop — particularly with Murakami and Grichuk — to give a young starter problems. Bachar needs to execute. The Pirates have shown fight throughout this regular season, and road games in September separate rosters that are still competing from those that are just finishing the schedule. Pittsburgh has the pieces to steal this one, but it will come down to whether Bachar can keep Chicago off the bases in the middle innings. Call it a 4-3 White Sox win in a game that stays close throughout.