Houston Astros at Pittsburgh Pirates: MLB Game Preview June 3, 2025

Tuesday, June 3rd, 2025

Houston Astros at Pittsburgh Pirates on 2025-06-03 5:40PM MLB game preview.

Houston Astros (32-27, second in the AL West) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (22-38, fifth in the NL Central)

Pittsburgh; Tuesday, 6:40 p.m. EDT

Bottom Line

The Pittsburgh Pirates host the Houston Astros to begin a three-game series.

Pittsburgh has a 22-38 record overall and a 13-16 record in home games. The Pirates have a 6-25 record in games when they have given up at least one home run.

Houston has a 10-15 record on the road and a 32-27 record overall. Astros hitters are batting a collective .253, which ranks fourth in the AL.

The teams meet Tuesday for the first time this season.

Pitching Matchup

Astros: Lance McCullers (0-1, 5.89 ERA, 1.69 WHIP, 26 strikeouts)

Pirates: Paul Skenes (4-5, 2.15 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 77 strikeouts)

Pirates -146, Astros +123; over/under is 7 1/2 runs

Top Performers

Oneil Cruz leads the Pirates with 12 home runs while slugging .476. Andrew McCutchen is 13 for 37 with two home runs and four RBI over the past 10 games.

Jeremy Pena has a .309 batting average to lead the Astros, and has nine doubles, a triple and nine home runs. Jose Altuve is 15 for 39 with five home runs and eight RBI over the last 10 games.

Last 10 Games

Pirates: 5-5, .272 batting average, 3.89 ERA, outscored opponents by seven runs

Astros: 7-3, .288 batting average, 4.50 ERA, outscored by one run

Injuries

Pirates: Joey Bart: 7-Day IL (concussion), Colin Holderman: 15-Day IL (thumb), Nick Gonzales: 60-Day IL (ankle), Enmanuel Valdez: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Justin Lawrence: 60-Day IL (elbow), Tim Mayza: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Jared Jones: 60-Day IL (elbow), Johan Oviedo: 60-Day IL (elbow), Dauri Moreta: 60-Day IL (elbow)

Astros: Chas McCormick: 10-Day IL (oblique), Ronel Blanco: 60-Day IL (elbow), Zach Dezenzo: 10-Day IL (hand), Hayden Wesneski: 60-Day IL (elbow), Yordan Alvarez: 10-Day IL (hand), Spencer Arrighetti: 15-Day IL (thumb), Luis Garcia: 60-Day IL (elbow), Cristian Javier: 60-Day IL (elbow), J.P. France: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Taylor Trammell: 10-Day IL (calf), Pedro Leon: 10-Day IL (knee)

In summary

The Pittsburgh Pirates host the Houston Astros for the first game of a three-game series on June 3, 2025, at 6:40 PM EDT. Pittsburgh enters the game with a 22-38 record, facing the 32-27 Astros. Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes will face Astros pitcher Lance McCullers. Key players include Oneil Cruz for the Pirates and Jeremy Pena and Jose Altuve for the Astros. The Astros have been playing well recently, going 7-3 in their last 10 games, while the Pirates are 5-5 over the same stretch. Both teams have several players on the injured list.

Related Links

• Houston Astros News & Updates
• Houston Astros Schedule & Scores
• Pittsburgh Pirates News & Updates
• Pittsburgh Pirates Schedule & Scores
• MLB News