Pirates Vs Dodgers: Pirates and Dodgers set for Aug. 21 opener at Dodger Stadium
The pirates vs dodgers series opener was scheduled for Friday, Aug. 21, with the Los Angeles Dodgers hosting the Pittsburgh Pirates at Dodger Stadium. Yoshinobu Yamamoto was set to start for Los Angeles against Pittsburgh rookie Bubba Chandler; the available reporting does not establish the game’s final result. (The Athletic, True Blue LA)
Pirates and Dodgers set for Aug. 21 opener at Dodger Stadium
The game was listed for a 10:10 p.m. ET start, with television coverage on SportsNet LA and SportsNet PT. Radio coverage was listed on AM 570 in English and KTNQ 1020 AM in Spanish. (The Athletic, True Blue LA)
Los Angeles entered the matchup at 77-51 and first in the National League West. Pittsburgh was 63-66 and fourth in the NL Central. The Dodgers were returning home after sweeping the Colorado Rockies in a three-game series, while the Pirates were beginning a nine-game road trip. (The Athletic, Sports Illustrated, True Blue LA)
Starting pitchers
Yamamoto was listed at 12-7 with a 2.60 ERA. True Blue LA reported that he had a 1.83 ERA over 19⅔ innings in August, with 18 strikeouts and six walks, while also noting that his previous start began with a 26-pitch first inning before he settled down. (The Athletic, True Blue LA)
Chandler was listed at 6-8 with a 4.23 ERA. Reports described a stronger post-All-Star-break stretch: Sports Illustrated listed him at 3-0 with a 2.33 ERA over 27 innings, while True Blue LA reported a 2.16 ERA and a 3-0 record in August. (Sports Illustrated, True Blue LA)
The matchup also brought a notable prior meeting between the starters. Yamamoto faced Pittsburgh once before, in April 2025, when he took a 3-0 loss against Paul Skenes, according to True Blue LA. (True Blue LA)
Hitters and lineup context
Pittsburgh’s lineup was described as difficult despite the team’s losing record. True Blue LA reported that the Pirates had MLB’s most hits and third-most runs. Oneil Cruz had also returned after being out since early June with a left-hand fracture. (True Blue LA)
Rafael Flores entered after hitting two home runs in Pittsburgh’s 4-3 win over Detroit. Bryan Reynolds was batting .261 with a .370 on-base percentage, a .427 slugging percentage, 15 home runs, 66 RBIs and 85 runs scored, according to The Athletic. (The Athletic)
For Los Angeles, Shohei Ohtani was batting .291 with a .942 OPS, 30 home runs and 80 RBIs. Andy Pages had 21 home runs, 80 RBIs and 12 stolen bases, while Brandon Lowe had 27 home runs and 80 RBIs in the figures provided by The Athletic. (The Athletic)
What was scheduled next
The teams were slated for a three-game series from Aug. 21-23. Jared Jones was listed as Pittsburgh’s starter for the Aug. 22 game, while the series finale remained listed as to be determined and was described as a possible bullpen game. (Sports Illustrated)