Sports Today Wednesday, September 9
← Back to today’s slate MLB matchup · September 9, 2026
Pittsburgh Pirates
72-73 · 3rd in NL Central, 17.5 GB
Steady at the plate
RHP Lake Bachar · High-strikeout arm
@
Chicago White Sox
75-69 · 1st in AL Central
Offense cooling lately
RHP Davis Martin · Command specialist
MLB · Rate Field · 4:40 PM PT

Team Identity

Pittsburgh Pirates
Season-to-date, 145 games, 5,842 PA.
An aggressive, patient offense that runs and pressures defenses on the bases.
Power
Below Avg42
Contact
Average65
Plate Discipline
Above Avg69
Speed
Above Avg83
RISP
Above Avg68
Recent Form
Holding Steady
Recent underlying offense is roughly in line with its season baseline.
Chicago White Sox
Season-to-date, 144 games, 5,666 PA.
A power-hitting offense that does damage on extra-base hits, though it can be station-to-station. The offense has cooled off recently.
Power
Above Avg77
Contact
Below Avg30
Plate Discipline
Average62
Speed
Below Avg27
RISP
Below Avg40
Recent Form
Trending Down
Hit rate is down 20% over the team's last 10 games versus its season baseline.

What This Game Is About

Biggest Advantage

White Sox bring the more power-hitting profile, while Pirates lean on being aggressive.

Swing Factor

Lake Bachar strikes hitters out at a 24.4% clip (72nd percentile); White Sox carry a 23.0% strikeout rate.

Momentum

Pirates are holding steady and White Sox are trending down over their last 10 games.

Key Matchups

Can Lake Bachar miss enough bats?
Lake Bachar strikes hitters out at a 24.4% clip (72nd percentile); White Sox carry a 23.0% strikeout rate.
Edge · Lake BacharLake Bachar: 24.4% K rateWhite Sox: 23.0% K rateHigh confidence
Can Davis Martin miss enough bats?
Davis Martin strikes hitters out at a 19.8% clip (38th percentile); Pirates carry a 23.3% strikeout rate.
Edge · PiratesDavis Martin: 19.8% K ratePirates: 23.3% K rateHigh confidence
Can Davis Martin command the strike zone?
Pirates walk in 8.8% of trips; Davis Martin allows walks sparingly (6.9%).
Edge · Davis MartinPirates: 8.8% walk rateDavis Martin: 6.9% walks allowedHigh confidence
Can Lake Bachar command the strike zone?
White Sox walk in 9.1% of trips; Lake Bachar allows walks at a fairly typical rate (9.8%).
Edge · White SoxWhite Sox: 9.1% walk rateLake Bachar: 9.8% walks allowedHigh confidence
How do Pirates handle right-handers?
Pirates have produced better against right-handers this season (0.354 vs. 0.344 TB/PA overall).
Edge · Piratesvs right-handers: 0.354 TB/PA (4059 PA)overall: 0.344 TB/PAModerate confidence

Pitcher Trends

Lake Bachar
Lake Bachar
Pittsburgh Pirates · 3 starts
SP
Strikeouts2.7/start
Hits allowed1.0/start
4 or fewer Hits Allowed — 3 of last 34 or fewer Strikeouts — 3 of last 3
24% K rate
Per-start form only — opponent lineup, park, and pitch count aren't modeled.
Davis Martin
Davis Martin
Chicago White Sox · 8 starts
SP
Strikeouts2.9/start
Hits allowed5.5/start
4 or fewer Strikeouts — 4 of last 65 or fewer Hits Allowed — 4 of last 6
20% K rate
Per-start form only — opponent lineup, park, and pitch count aren't modeled.

Player Trends

Brandon Lowe
Brandon Lowe
Pittsburgh Pirates · 0.333 hit rate · 0.538 TB/PA
Heating up
recent games · 1+ hit
L53 / 5L107 / 10L2516 / 252-game hit streak
Hit rate is up 57% over his prior baseline, with hits in 7 of his last 10 games. He has trimmed his strikeout rate to 18%.
Bryan Reynolds
Bryan Reynolds
Pittsburgh Pirates · 0.277 hit rate · 0.426 TB/PA
Heating up
recent games · 1+ hit
L53 / 5L107 / 10L2516 / 25
Hit rate is up 29% over his prior baseline, with hits in 7 of his last 10 games. He has trimmed his strikeout rate to 17%.
Jacob Gonzalez
Jacob Gonzalez
Pittsburgh Pirates · 0.261 hit rate · 0.348 TB/PA
Heating up
recent games · 1+ hit
L53 / 5L105 / 10L2511 / 25
On-base rate is up 84% over his prior baseline, with hits in 5 of his last 8 games.
Munetaka Murakami
Munetaka Murakami
Chicago White Sox · 0.068 hit rate · 0.136 TB/PA
Cooling off
recent games · 1+ hit
L52 / 5L103 / 10L2510 / 25
Total bases per PA is down 65% over his prior baseline, with hits in 3 of his last 10 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 45%.
Esmerlyn Valdez
Esmerlyn Valdez
Pittsburgh Pirates · 0.097 hit rate · 0.226 TB/PA
Cooling off
recent games · 1+ hit
L52 / 5L105 / 10L2513 / 25
Hit rate is down 51% over his prior baseline, with hits in 3 of his last 7 games.
Konnor Griffin
Konnor Griffin
Pittsburgh Pirates · 0.118 hit rate · 0.176 TB/PA
Cooling off
recent games · 1+ hit
L52 / 5L106 / 10L2518 / 25
Hit rate is down 52% over his prior baseline, with hits in 1 of his last 4 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 29%.

Players Positioned to Succeed

77
Bryan Reynolds
Bryan Reynolds
1+ Hit
Pittsburgh Pirates
Why it stands out
Recent contact results are improving
Main risk
Lineup not yet posted
76
Oneil Cruz
Oneil Cruz
1+ Hit
Pittsburgh Pirates
Why it stands out
Strong recent plate-appearance volume
Main risk
Recent hit rate has cooled
74
Nick Gonzales
Nick Gonzales
1+ Hit
Pittsburgh Pirates
Why it stands out
Strong recent plate-appearance volume
Main risk
Recent hit rate has cooled
70
Konnor Griffin
Konnor Griffin
1+ Hit
Pittsburgh Pirates
Why it stands out
Strong recent plate-appearance volume
Main risk
Elevated recent strikeout rate
67
Chase Meidroth
Chase Meidroth
1+ Hit
Chicago White Sox
Why it stands out
Low recent strikeout rate
Main risk
Recent hit rate has cooled
66
Miguel Vargas
Miguel Vargas
1+ Hit
Chicago White Sox
Why it stands out
Recent form supports the pick
Main risk
Lineup not yet posted

Expected Game Shape

BalancedLow confidence

Competitive profile without a clear stylistic tilt. White Sox bring more power.

Early edge Pirates Driver No single dominant factor Volatility Moderate
  • Both probable starters grade around the 56th percentile in combined suppression.
  • Pirates are trending steady; White Sox are trending down.

Storylines to Watch

Can White Sox handle Lake Bachar's strikeout stuff?
White Sox have been a below-average contact team while Lake Bachar misses bats at an above-average rate — a swing factor early.
White Sox contact percentile: 30
Is Brandon Lowe the one to watch?
Brandon Lowe enters as Pirates' hottest bat. Hit rate is up 57% over his prior baseline, with hits in 7 of his last 10 games. He has trimmed his strikeout rate to 18%.
0.333 hit rate · 0.538 TB/PA · 0.212 hit rate · 0.399 TB/PA
Can Munetaka Murakami snap out of it?
Munetaka Murakami has cooled off. Total bases per PA is down 65% over his prior baseline, with hits in 3 of his last 10 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 45%.
0.068 hit rate · 0.136 TB/PA · 0.173 hit rate · 0.394 TB/PA
Based on plate appearances before 2026-09-09, with today's posted lineups when available. Injuries, weather, bullpen availability, and park factors are not yet included.