Jared Jones was named the Pittsburgh Pirates’ starter for Sunday’s game against the Colorado Rockies, putting him on the mound for a 3:10 p.m. ET first pitch at Coors Field on June 21. The right-hander came in with a 1-1 record and a 6.23 ERA, while Michael Lorenzen was slated to start for Colorado with a 2-8 record and a 7.13 ERA.
That is the kind of pitching matchup that can tilt a watch guide into something more closely examined. The Pirates entered at 38-39 and fourth in the NL Central, while the Rockies were 30-47 and fifth in the NL West, which is why the game drew attention even before the first pitch. Bryan Reynolds, meanwhile, arrived with an 11-game hitting streak and a chance to keep the line moving for Pittsburgh.
The records tell the story of where these teams are right now. Both are below.500, and both were trying to find stability in a season that has already pushed them into the bottom half of their divisions. The announced starters gave the matchup a clearer edge: Jones for Pittsburgh and Lorenzen for Colorado, two arms carrying ERAs that have been part of the reason each club is still searching for traction.
There was also no shortage of absences around the game. Oneil Cruz, Konnor Griffin, Wilber Dotel and Chris Devenski were on injured lists for Pittsburgh, while Colorado was missing Jordan Beck, Mickey Moniak, Brenton Doyle, Tanner Gordon, Chase Dollander, Kris Bryant, José Quintana, McCade Brown, RJ Petit, Welinton Herrera and Pierson Ohl. That many injuries reshaped both clubs before a pitch was thrown, and it made the day’s starting assignment for Jones even more central to how Pittsburgh wanted to frame the game.
What happens next is the part readers will be watching: whether Jones can turn the start into a steadier outing than his ERA suggests, and whether Reynolds can extend the streak that followed him into Coors Field. The game itself was the answer to the immediate question, but the larger test for Pittsburgh is whether this start becomes a step forward or just another entry in a season still trying to settle down.
