The matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 4, 2025, at PNC Park sets up as a fascinating finale, pitting a Dodgers team eager to reverse the tide after consecutive losses against a Pirates club that continues to embrace its underdog role with confidence, and the game promises to blend the star power of Los Angeles with the resilience and opportunism of Pittsburgh in what oddsmakers expect to be a tightly contested, low-scoring affair. The Dodgers will send Blake Snell to the mound, a pitcher whose swing-and-miss arsenal and ability to neutralize left-handed bats make him an ideal candidate to control the game early, especially against a Pirates lineup that has often struggled with strikeout tendencies and inconsistency in sequencing runs, though Pittsburgh has proven capable of surprising favorites by embracing situational hitting and forcing long at-bats. Los Angeles enters favored at around –124 on the moneyline with totals in the 7–8 range, a reflection of respect for Snell’s dominance and the Dodgers’ ability to score in bursts but also of acknowledgment that Pittsburgh’s pitching staff, even when pieced together with openers or young arms, has held its own in keeping games close, and this contest could come down to bullpen execution and one or two timely swings.

The Dodgers need to address their trend of sluggish starts on the road, as five of their last nine road series have opened with defeats that forced them to play from behind in both standings and momentum, and manager Dave Roberts will be looking to his stars—Mookie Betts to set the tone atop the order, Shohei Ohtani to supply thunder in the middle, and Will Smith to anchor at-bats in high-leverage spots—to break that habit and put pressure on Pittsburgh early rather than relying on late-inning rallies. For the Pirates, confidence comes from their recent success against Los Angeles and the psychological boost of knowing they have managed to land blows against one of the National League’s juggernauts, and with players like Oneil Cruz providing raw athleticism, Bryan Reynolds offering consistency as a switch-hitter, and Henry Davis supplying youthful energy, they have the balance to at least test Snell and the Dodgers’ bullpen if they can avoid chasing pitches out of the zone. Defensively, both clubs bring strength, with the Dodgers boasting elite athleticism in their infield shifts and outfield positioning while Pittsburgh counters with a youthful but rangy defense that has converted enough plays to keep them competitive in tight games. The bullpen battle looms large: Los Angeles has depth with multiple high-leverage arms that can shorten a game to six innings if Snell provides length, while Pittsburgh will likely lean on mix-and-match usage, deploying younger arms like Bubba Chandler in multi-inning stints to bridge to the late innings, a strategy that worked in their recent win and could again provide the stability needed to offset lineup disparities. Betting narratives highlight the Dodgers’ reliability as favorites but also the Pirates’ surprising ability to overachieve as underdogs, creating a tension that fits neatly with the quirky run of underdog victories in some of these teams’ recent meetings, and ultimately the matchup feels like a test of whether Los Angeles can assert its pedigree with a statement win or whether Pittsburgh can continue to carve out unexpected momentum by turning another contender’s stumble into a spark of their own.