Trevor Williams Needs to Play Stopper for the Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates will look to salvage a game in Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon

After a great 11-4 start to the season, the Pittsburgh Pirates are now just 1-5 in their last 6 games. This includes being winless thus far in their four-game weekend series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The now 12-9 Pirates will look to avoid being swept on Sunday by turning to right-handed starting pitcher Trevor Williams.

It will be up to Williams to help the Pirates avoid a 0-4 trip to Philadelphia. With how badly the Pirate offense has struggled of late, Williams will have to be on his game this afternoon.

Since joining the Pirate rotation in May of last season Williams has started to round into a strong middle of the rotation starting pitcher. In four starts this season Williams owns a 1.93 ERA, 3.79 FIP, and he has allowed just a single home run.

Dating back to May 13th of last year, Williams owns a 3.40 ERA and a 3.75 FIP in 28 starts. In these starts he owns a 17.9 percent strikeout rate, an 8.1 percent walk rate, and he has allowed hard contact just 29.3 percent of the time while limiting hitters to soft contact 21.4 percent of the time.

During this 28 start stretch Williams soft contact rate is the 11th best in the National League, while his hard contact rate is the 14th lowest in the league.

As was said above, the Pirates offense has been flat putrid lately which will force Williams to be on his game today. In their last 6 games, the Pirate offense has scored just 15 runs and 10 of these came in one game. This also adds to the importance of Williams playing stopper for the Pirates today.

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First pitch from Citizens Bank Park is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. While Williams will start for the Pirates, the Phillies will give the ball to righty Nick Pivetta.