The finale in Pittsburgh pits Mitch Spence against Mike Burrows as Oakland aims to cap a road trip on a high note. After a quiet night against Bubba Chandler and Pittsburgh’s relievers, the A’s need timely hits and solid innings from their starter to swing the series. Kotsay’s lineup must buckle down and exploit Burrows’ contact approach, while the Pirates bullpen looks to ride late-inning depth to another win at PNC Park.

Fantasy watchers should monitor Spence’s ability to go 4-5 frames with a strikeout punch, and Burrows’ command-driven approach to the A’s lineup. If Oakland gets early runs, Spence’s win ceiling increases; if not, Pittsburgh’s bullpen could short-circuit the game quickly. This one shapes as a lean streamer or punt play depending on late lineup shifts and bullpen usage.

Pittsburgh’s Bubba Chandler five-hits through six, delivering a one-hitter behind a sharp bullpen to snap a five-game skid. Nick Yorke and Bryan Reynolds provided the offense with timely homers, while Braxton Ashcraft and Dennis Santana locked down the late frames. Oakland’s only real spark came from Jacob Wilson’s second-inning double, as the A’s offense stalls again.

The Pirates’ rookie mowed down six with no walks, and the lineup chipped in just enough—Yorke’s two-out blast and Reynolds’ long ball propelled a tidy 2-0 win that keeps Pittsburgh in the hunt as the season tightens.

Washington hosts Pittsburgh in an early rubber match at Nationals Park, with Washington reshuffling the lineup as Dylan Crews sits. Robert Hassell moves to right, Jacob Young to center, Daylen Lile in left, and James Wood shifts to DH while Riley Adams handles catching and Nasim Nunez stays at second. Cade Cavalli starts for the Nats. Pittsburgh counters with a lefty-friendly lineup featuring Oneil Cruz, Ji Hwan Bae, Spencer Horwitz, Joey Bart catching, and Mike Burrows on the mound. The Nats seek a September spark against aPirates club facing similar odds, hoping to prove they can beat teams in this tier.

The tactical shifts create fantasy intrigue: expect Hassell and Young to climb the batting order, Lile and Wood to contribute from spots that boost run potential, and Cavalli to deliver mixed results against a left-handed heavy Pirates lineup. For Pittsburgh, left-handed combinations against Cavalli will test Washington’s defense and opportunistic baserunning. This game is a chance for both teams to showcase resilience in a tight early-season schedule.

The Pirates blanked Los Angeles 3-0 on Sept. 3 behind a steady start from Braxton Ashcraft and a sharp relief outing from Mike Burrows. Ashcraft logged five innings with defiant baserunner pressure early, leaving with a 2-0 edge after Reynolds and McCutchen drilled solo shots in the first two frames. Burrows in relief erased a pair of Dodgers threats, including a bases-loaded moment that ended with a Freeman double play on Ohtani’s leadoff double. The win secures Pittsburgh’s sixth straight home victory and its first winning home record since 2018, with ten home games left on the schedule.

Reynolds opened the scoring with a solo homer in the first and McCutchen followed in the second, padding the lead and providing the offense the pitching staff could lean on. The Dodgers threatened again in the middle innings but couldn’t muster a run, as Burrows and the bullpen kept L.A. off the board. It’s a notable performance for a Pirates club that has been exceptionally stingy at PNC all year, leveraging timely hitting and bullpen depth to climb ahead of a crowded playoff conversation for fantasy managers monitoring Pirates pitchers and hitters down the stretch.

Pittsburgh rode two veteran power bursts and a wave of young arms to a 5-1 win over Colorado. Andrew McCutchen started the scoring with a two-run homer, followed by Jared Triolo’s two-run shot to push the lead to four. Mike Burrows delivered four shutout innings while Carmen Mlodzinski, Kyle Nicolas and Colin Holderman held the Rockies scoreless through eight. Brenton Doyle spoiled the shutout with a ninth-inning solo blast for Colorado.

Fantasy takeaway: McCutchen’s hot stretch should keep him in the middle of the Pirates’ RBI opportunities, Triolo’s power adds a speculative DFS angle, and Burrows’ early effectiveness makes Pirates’ rotation depth worth monitoring. Rockies’ late-resistance aside, Pittsburgh showed late-season potential with a bullpen surge and timely offense.