Rubber Match Alert! Red Sox and Pirates Bring the Heat to Pittsburgh

It all comes down to this. The Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates have split the first two games of this interleague slugfest, and Sunday afternoon at PNC Park is the ultimate rubber match.

Boston rolls into Pittsburgh with a 66-57 record and serious road swagger at 37-26. The Pirates? They're 60-65 overall but a solid 31-31 in their own yard. Something's gotta give.

Arms Race

Left-hander Patrick Sandoval takes the bump for the Red Sox, carrying a 1-1 record and a sharp 3.30 ERA. On the other side, Pittsburgh counters with Lake Bachar, who's been punching out hitters all season with 68 strikeouts and a 3.97 ERA. The oddsmakers like Boston at -118, with the total set at 8.5 runs.

Hottest Hitters

Bryan Reynolds continues to be Pittsburgh's most dangerous threat, hitting .261 with 29 doubles, two triples, and 15 homers. Rafael Flores is scorching lately — 7-for-22 with three bombs in his last 10 games. For Boston, Wilyer Abreu brings the pop: 22 homers, 54 walks, and 65 RBIs. Ceddanne Rafaela is heating up too, going 12-for-45 with a homer and four RBIs in his last 10.

Momentum Check

The Pirates have stumbled through their last 10, going 3-7 while being outscored by four runs. Boston's last 10 hasn't been pretty either at 4-6, but they've outscored opponents by 10 runs — and when this Red Sox lineup scores five or more, they're nearly untouchable at 47-9.

Injury Report

Both dugouts are banged up. Pittsburgh is missing Oneil Cruz and Mitch Keller, while Boston's list includes Trevor Story, Tanner Houck, Garrett Crochet, and Triston Casas. Depth will be tested.

Sunday's rubber match is a real get-right spot for both clubs. Expect fireworks in Pittsburgh.