Struggling Pirates hitters now have to face pitching nemesis

For the Pittsburgh Pirates hitters, coming back to PNC Park on Friday might be a case of getting the wrong guy at the wrong time.

The Buccos batters will face a familiar foe in Adam Wainwright and the St. Louis Cardinals to open a three-game series and a six-game homestand.

During their last two series — seven games (3-4) against the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs — the Pirates have totaled just nine runs and have averaged a measly 4.71 hits per game.

As of Friday morning, the Pirates ranked:

• 29th in Major League Baseball (last in the National League) in runs scored (122). Only Detroit had fewer with 105.

• 27th in MLB in hits (269)

• 25th in MLB in homers (28)

• 24th in MLB in batting average (.224)

• 23rd in MLB in OBP (.294)

• 28th in MLB in slugging (.347)

• Tied for 26th in OPS (worst in the NL) at (.641)

Now (of course) they get a second turn at Wainwright. The 40-year-old three-time All-Star is 4-3 with a 3.15 this season. But 22 of his 188 career wins are against the Pirates, more than any other opponent he has faced.

The right-hander has owned the Pirates lately. Since the start of 2019, Wainwright is 9-0 against the Pirates. Over those 11 starts, he has yielded just 13 earned runs in 71 innings for an ERA of 1.65.

His strikeout-to-walk total over that time is 67-to-14, and he has allowed only three home runs.

Those numbers include six innings of shutout baseball on Opening Day this year, as the Cardinals blanked the Pirates 9-0. In four starts last year against the Pirates, Wainwright allowed only one earned run over 30 innings.

Not exactly the recipe to snap the Pirates out of their collective slump.

As for the rest of the series, the Pirates will get lefty starter Matthew Liberatore on Saturday. He’ll be making his Major League debut. Miles Mikolas (3-2) starts Sunday. His 1.68 ERA is second best in the NL and fourth best in all of baseball.

Zach Thompson, Jose Quintana and Bryse Wilson are slated to start for the Pirates.