The Pittsburgh Pirates welcome the Arizona Diamondbacks to PNC Park on Tuesday, July 28, for a 6:40 PM ET first pitch. Right-hander Bubba Chandler gets the ball for Pittsburgh, squaring off against Arizona's Brandon Pfaadt in what shapes up as an intriguing pitching matchup between two young starters with plenty to prove. With the second half of the 2026 season underway, every game at home carries real weight for a Pirates club looking to make its mark in the NL Central standings.
Pitching Matchup: Bubba Chandler vs. Brandon Pfaadt
Bubba Chandler is the headliner here for Pittsburgh. The 23-year-old right-hander has been one of the more compelling storylines in the Pirates organization over the last couple of seasons, and his development as a starting pitcher is one of the central questions surrounding this ballclub's ceiling. Chandler's stuff — a fastball he can run into the upper 90s paired with a sharp breaking ball — gives him the profile of a legitimate front-of-the-rotation arm. How he executes that on Tuesday night, particularly against a Diamondbacks lineup that can generate offense in bunches, will be worth watching closely.
On the other side, Brandon Pfaadt takes the ball for Arizona. The 25-year-old has been part of a Diamondbacks rotation that helped carry that franchise deep into October in recent memory. Pfaadt is a strike-thrower who works down in the zone and relies on sequencing rather than overpowering hitters. Pittsburgh's lineup will need to be disciplined and patient to get into the Arizona bullpen early.
Keys to Watch at PNC Park
- Chandler's command: Bubba Chandler's ability to throw his fastball to both sides of the plate and land his breaking ball for strikes will determine how deep he goes into this game. If he's locating, he can keep Arizona's offense off-balance. If he's falling behind in counts, it could be a long night.
- Pittsburgh's offense against a strike-thrower: Pfaadt won't beat himself with walks. The Pirates need to put together quality at-bats, hunt pitches they can drive, and avoid letting Pfaadt cruise through innings on low pitch counts.
- Bullpen management: Both clubs will likely lean on their relief corps if their starters exit before the seventh. How each manager navigates the late innings at PNC Park could be the difference in a one-run game.
- Home crowd factor: PNC Park in late July is one of the better environments in the National League on a warm summer night. The Pirates have historically played with more edge at home, and a strong crowd can lift an offense through a tough inning.
Prediction
This figures to be a tightly contested game driven by pitching. Chandler has the raw ability to go toe-to-toe with any starter in the National League on a given night, and pitching at PNC Park in front of the home crowd is an advantage worth something. Pfaadt is a capable arm who won't hand Pittsburgh anything for free, but the Pirates' lineup has enough pop to manufacture a lead if they stay disciplined at the plate.
Look for this one to stay close deep into the seventh or eighth inning. Pittsburgh edges Arizona, 3-2, behind a quality start from Chandler and timely hitting in the middle innings. Tune in on SportsNet Pittsburgh or catch the radio call on Sports Radio 93.7 KDKA The Fan.
