Los Angeles Angels vs Pittsburgh Pirates Picks and Prediction for Sunday, September 6, 2026

The Los Angeles Angels and Pittsburgh Pirates meet Sunday at PNC Park, with the opening pitch scheduled for 1:35 PM ET and the game televised on MLB.TV. Los Angeles is 53-88, fifth in the AL West and 19.5 games behind Houston. Pittsburgh is 70-72, fourth in the NL Central and 18 games behind Milwaukee. The Pirates remain in the NL Wild Card race, sitting five games behind the final spot. Los Angeles is 1-9 over its last 10 games, while Pittsburgh is 6-4 during its last 10. Check out our free MLB picks.

Los Angeles Angels Have Dropped Three Straight

Los Angeles has lost three consecutive games after Pittsburgh opened this series with a 1-0 win Friday. The Angels have also dropped four of their last five, with the only victory coming in a 10-1 result against the Yankees. Los Angeles is batting .233 with a .308 on-base percentage and .369 slugging percentage. Zach Neto leads the club with 23 home runs, 66 RBI and 127 hits, while Mike Trout has 20 homers and a team-best .374 on-base percentage.

Pitching has been a major problem for the Angels, who rank 30th in MLB with a 4.27 ERA. Los Angeles has a 1.35 WHIP, although opponents are batting only .236 against the staff. The Angels have walked 569 hitters, the third-highest total in the majors. Los Angeles is also 23-44 away from home. Nolan Schanuel is batting .276 with a .351 on-base percentage, while Vaughn Grissom has 10 home runs and 59 RBI.

Injuries: Josh Lowe is day-to-day. Gustavo Campero and Nolan Schanuel are on the 10-Day IL, Sam Bachman is on the 15-Day IL, and Yoan Moncada is on the 60-Day IL.

Pittsburgh Pirates Have Won Four of Five

Pittsburgh has won four of its last five games, including Friday's 1-0 series-opening victory over Los Angeles. The Pirates also beat San Francisco 5-2 and 13-12 during that stretch and defeated St. Louis 5-4. Pittsburgh is batting .253 with a .331 on-base percentage and .402 slugging percentage. Brandon Lowe leads the club with 29 home runs and 83 RBI, while Nick Gonzales is batting .308 with 153 hits and a .372 on-base percentage.

The Pirates rank 18th in MLB pitching with a 4.22 ERA and have recorded a 1.31 WHIP with a .238 opponent batting average. Pittsburgh has struck out 1,293 hitters and allowed 138 home runs. The Pirates are 37-33 at PNC Park. Bryan Reynolds has 15 home runs, 66 RBI and a .369 on-base percentage, while Oneil Cruz has produced 17 homers, 58 RBI and 26 stolen bases in 79 games.

Injuries: Ryan O'Hearn is on the 10-Day IL, Kirby Yates is on the 15-Day IL, and Mitch Keller and Endy Rodriguez are on the 60-Day IL.

Pitching Matchup

Los Angeles Angels - Walbert Urena

Walbert Urena is 9-9 with a 2.85 ERA and 1.26 WHIP through 123.1 innings. The right-hander has allowed 91 hits, 64 walks and only eight home runs while recording 120 strikeouts. Urena has held hitters to fewer hits than innings pitched, and his eight home runs allowed stand out across his 123.1-inning workload.

Pittsburgh Pirates - Paul Skenes

Paul Skenes is 9-11 with a 3.97 ERA and 1.16 WHIP across 149.2 innings. The right-hander has recorded 179 strikeouts while allowing 129 hits, 44 walks and 15 home runs. Skenes has averaged more than one strikeout per inning and has issued fewer than one walk for every three strikeouts.

Los Angeles Angels vs Pittsburgh Pirates Game Pick

• Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh is the pick Sunday behind a stronger recent record and Paul Skenes on the mound. The Pirates are 6-4 over their last 10 games, while Los Angeles is 1-9 during that span. Pittsburgh also owns a .253 team average and .331 on-base percentage, compared with .233 and .308 for the Angels. Skenes has 179 strikeouts in 149.2 innings, and Pittsburgh is 37-33 at home. Los Angeles has dropped three straight and is 23-44 away. Those numbers make Pittsburgh the pick in Sunday's matchup overall.

Los Angeles Angels vs Pittsburgh Pirates Over/Under Pick

• Under

Under is the pick after the series opened with Pittsburgh's 1-0 victory Friday. Los Angeles has scored only 11 runs across its last five games, including two runs or fewer in three of those contests. Walbert Urena has a 2.85 ERA and has allowed eight home runs in 123.1 innings. Skenes has a 3.97 ERA with a 1.16 WHIP. The Angels rank last in MLB pitching, but their offense has struggled enough recently to keep the scoring outlook modest. The play is under on Sunday.