Pittsburgh Pirates vs Los Angeles Dodgers Picks and Prediction for Saturday August 22, 2026

The Pittsburgh Pirates and Los Angeles Dodgers meet Saturday, August 22, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. ET with coverage on FOX and MLB.TV. Pittsburgh enters at 63-66 overall and 29-34 on the road, while Los Angeles is 77-51 overall and 37-26 at home. At the time of this writing the odds were not released. Be sure to check out our free MLB picks throughout the season for more MLB predictions and analysis.

Starting Pitchers

Pittsburgh is expected to start Jared Jones, who is 2-5 with a 4.78 ERA and 1.20 WHIP through 64 innings. He has allowed 56 hits while striking out 72 and walking 21, with 11 home runs surrendered. Los Angeles counters with Tarik Skubal, who brings a 7-7 record, 2.85 ERA and excellent 0.96 WHIP through 113.2 innings. He has allowed 89 hits, struck out 135 and walked only 20 while giving up 12 home runs. The starting-pitching numbers give Los Angeles a substantial advantage, particularly in run prevention, WHIP and strikeout-to-walk efficiency.

Pittsburgh Brings a Productive Offense to Los Angeles

Pittsburgh sits at 63-66 and remains within striking distance of the .500 mark despite being fourth in the NL Central. The Pirates have played respectable baseball recently, winning three of their last five games. They took two of three from Detroit and also recorded an 8-3 victory over Boston during that stretch.

The Pirates have produced strong offensive numbers overall, batting .256 with 646 runs, 1,136 hits and 155 home runs. Their .333 on-base percentage and .411 slugging percentage compare favorably with much of the league, giving Pittsburgh an offense capable of generating both traffic and extra-base damage.

The concern is whether that production will translate against one of the tougher pitching matchups on Saturday's slate. Pittsburgh's staff owns a 4.29 ERA and 1.32 WHIP, and the Pirates now face a Los Angeles club that has scored 24 runs over its last three games. If Pittsburgh is going to compete, its offense may need to manufacture opportunities early before the Dodgers can establish control.

Dodgers Look to Extend Three-Game Winning Streak

Los Angeles enters at 77-51 and leads the NL West with a .602 winning percentage. The Dodgers have won three straight games, sweeping their recent trip through Colorado with victories of 11-5, 7-6 and 6-4. That offensive surge followed consecutive losses to Milwaukee, so the Dodgers appear to have quickly regained momentum.

Los Angeles owns a .260 team batting average with 640 runs, 1,121 hits and 166 home runs. The Dodgers also carry a .335 on-base percentage and .430 slugging percentage, giving them the stronger overall power profile in this matchup. Their pitching numbers are even more impressive, with a 3.70 ERA and 1.17 WHIP.

The biggest edge for Los Angeles comes from combining that offense with superior run prevention. Pittsburgh can hit, but the Dodgers have the better pitching staff statistically and enter with the more favorable starting matchup. Los Angeles is also 37-26 at home, while Pittsburgh is below .500 on the road.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs Los Angeles Dodgers Picks and Prediction

Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers Moneyline

The Dodgers are the side I prefer in this matchup. Los Angeles has the better overall record, the stronger pitching numbers and a significant advantage in the starting matchup. The Dodgers have also scored 24 runs during their current three-game winning streak, which gives them multiple paths to control Saturday's game.

Pittsburgh's offense is good enough to keep this competitive, and the Pirates have won three of their last five, so this is not a matchup where I would automatically lay an aggressive run line. The safer approach is backing Los Angeles on the moneyline and trusting the better combination of starting pitching, bullpen-level team numbers, home-field performance and recent offensive momentum.

Pick: Under

The total was not available at the time of this writing, but I would take the under if the total is set at 8.5 or higher. Los Angeles enters with a 3.70 team ERA and 1.17 WHIP, and its starting pitching advantage is the strongest statistical factor in this matchup.

Pittsburgh has enough offensive production to create some danger, but the matchup points toward Los Angeles limiting those opportunities better than the Pirates can limit the Dodgers. A number of 8.5 provides enough room to account for Pittsburgh's capable lineup while still leaning on the quality of the Los Angeles pitching profile.

This preview was completed before the start of play on Friday.