Jared Jones takes the mound as Pirates try to close the gap in the in-state finale against the Phillies

Pittsburgh is wrapping up a four-game matchup with its in-state rival, the Philadelphia Phillies, on Thursday afternoon, with the Pirates hoping to turn the series finale into a momentum swing on the road. The key pitching matchup centers on Pittsburgh starter Jared Jones, who is scheduled to make his seventh start of the season, and Philadelphia long reliever Alan Rangel, who is being used as a starter for the first time this year.

Jones enters the outing on a workload that could force Pittsburgh’s bullpen to cover more than it normally would. In his most recent appearance on June 27 against the Cincinnati Reds, Jones lasted 4.2 innings, allowing four hits and three earned runs in a 9-7 loss at home. More broadly, he has reached five innings in only one of his six starts this season, a pattern that tends to place extra innings pressure on the relief corps when the matchup is relatively close.

Philadelphia’s plan, according to the game preview coverage, leans on Rangel’s experience as a long reliever even though Thursday marks his first start of the season. Rangel had made three relief appearances prior to the game, including a five-inning stretch against the Washington Nationals on June 22 where he allowed one earned run. He also pitched four innings against the New York Mets on June 27 in a 6-2 defeat, entering during the second inning and allowing four hits and four earned runs as the Phillies struggled to provide run support.

The Phillies are carrying the more stable context going into the finale. They are listed at 48-38, while the Pirates are listed at 43-43, setting up Thursday’s game as a chance for Philadelphia to lock in an official series result at Citizens Bank Park and for Pittsburgh to fight for one more win in a rivalry that plays differently even when both teams are still building toward their summer goals.

For Pittsburgh, the storyline is execution around a likely early bullpen phase. If Jones cannot stretch the game, the Pirates will need relievers to bridge from the middle innings to the late part of the contest without surrendering the kind of multi-run swings that turn a rivalry finale into a quick scoreboard story. For Philadelphia, the central question is whether Rangel can hold down damage in his starter role long enough for the Phillies’ lineup to take advantage.

Broadcast and local listening options underscore how this one sits on regional schedules, with the game carried on NBC Sports Philadelphia and SportsNet Pittsburgh, and radio coverage available through Philadelphia’s 94WIP and Pittsburgh’s Sports Radio 93.7 KDKA The Fan.

As the series finale approaches, the matchup picture is less about a single batter versus a single pitcher and more about innings management. Thursday’s starter choices, paired with Jones’ recent five-inning frequency and Rangel’s long-relief background, make bullpen efficiency and run prevention the two factors to watch first.

If Rangel can keep Philadelphia’s deficit or lead margin from flipping early, the Phillies’ path is straightforward: stay in the game through the mid-innings and let their lineup pressure carry over. If Pittsburgh’s bats can put runners on early against Rangel, Jones’s role may matter less than whether the Pirates can shorten the game by turning quality at-bats into quick runs.