Guardians, Pirates prepare to play 2 after air-quality postponement

Poor air quality in Northeast Ohio postponed the series opener between the Cleveland Guardians and visiting Pittsburgh Pirates, forcing the teams to play a doubleheader Saturday.

Drifting smoke from the Canadian forest fires is expected to persist throughout the day/night twin bill, but the National Weather Service expects it to dissipate to safer levels for the players and fans.

In the rescheduled game at 1:10 p.m., Cleveland right-hander Gavin Williams (10-4, 3.81 ERA) takes on Pittsburgh right-hander Jared Jones (1-1, 4.37). That was the scheduled matchup Friday.

The Guardians will promote left-hander Logan T. Allen (0-0, 0.00 ERA) from Triple-A Columbus to pitch the 7:10 p.m. nightcap. The Pirates haven’t announced a Game 2 starter.

“We can’t control the weather. We can’t control Mother Nature,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “We’ve got to do what’s best and what’s smart for both teams and for the fans. It’s just not safe to be out in that environment if it’s not playable.”

The Guardians have won four straight and returned from the All-Star break in a virtual tie with the Chicago White Sox atop the American League Central. Pittsburgh, which will play its second doubleheader in eight days, sits two games out of the final National League wild-card spot.

“Let’s keep playing good baseball and we can revisit that in a month or two,” Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe said. “I have no idea what the standings look like, but I know the feel in the clubhouse — and the way the game looks that we’re putting out there — looks really good.”

Pittsburgh entered the break with its best record in 10 years, three games above .500 after beating the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers three times in 30 hours.

The series featured a huge performance by rookie outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez, who had a three-homer, eight-RBI doubleheader. He hit .417 with nine RBIs over the set, raising his season numbers to .309 with 10 home runs and 27 RBIs in 94 at-bats.

“It’s been fun to be a part of, so we’ll keep it rolling,” said All-Star pitcher Paul Skenes, who is slated to start Sunday’s series finale. “We’re in a good spot and I’m super confident in our ability to show up after the break.

“There’s a lot of baseball left to play. It’s going to be a fun year.”

Jones starts for the first time since throwing six perfect innings against the Atlanta Braves on July 8, striking out eight before being lifted after just 77 pitches. He has never faced the Guardians.

Pirates manager Don Kelly admitted pulling Jones “sucks,” but wasn’t willing to overwork his surgically repaired pitching elbow. He remains under a limited pitch count.

“Coming off of surgery and everything, we just can’t push him,” Kelly said.

The Guardians counter with Williams, who is second in the AL in wins and third with 134 strikeouts and was arguably the biggest All-Star snub in the circuit. Williams will pitch against Pittsburgh for the first time.

Known as the “Big Rig,” he worked seven innings, recorded 11 strikeouts and gave up two runs in beating the Minnesota Twins on July 9. That win preceded a three-game road sweep of the Miami Marlins heading into the break.

“Hopefully we’ll come back fresh and ready to rock,” Cleveland rookie outfielder Chase DeLauter said.

Allen was a fixture in the Guardians’ rotation from 2023-2025, making 73 starts, but has only pitched four innings in relief for them this year. He is 1-0 with a 0.84 ERA in two career starts against Pittsburgh.

–Field Level Media