Boston Red Sox vs Pittsburgh Pirates Prediction & Picks - MLB

Prediction published on 8/29/25, 3:18 PM  by Travis Pulver | Modified on 1/13/26 at 9:16 AM in MLB Picks

The Pittsburgh Pirates will be in Massachusetts this weekend for a three-game series with the Boston Red Sox. Game One of the series is scheduled for today in Fenway Park at 7:10 p.m. EST. Fans can watch the action unfold via the MLB Network. Boston comes into the series fresh off a four-game sweep of the Orioles in Baltimore to improve to 75-60. They are in firm control of a wild card spot but only 3.5 games back in the AL East. It’s been a rough season for the Pirates, who are 59-76, but they’ve been playing good baseball lately. While they lost their last game, 4-1 vs. the Cardinals, they’ve won seven of their last ten.

Pittsburgh will have a definite advantage on the mound. The Pirates are scheduled to start Paul Skenes, who is 8-9 in 27 starts with a 2.07 ERA, .94 WHIP, and .195 OBA. Skenes has gone 3-5 on the road in 14 starts with a 2.50 ERA and .201 OBA. As for Boston, the Red Sox are calling up Payton Tolle to start. Tolle is an imposing 6-foot-6, 250-pound player with a killer fastball. He is the No. 2 prospect in the Boston farm system and No. 28 in baseball. IN Triple-A, he’s pitched 15 innings (3.06 ERA) and struck out 17 while walking just two.