CLEVELAND (Interstat) — The Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Guardians meet Saturday evening at Progressive Field in a key interleague matchup between teams separated by just one game in the win column. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. with clear skies and a game-time temperature of 84 degrees. Pittsburgh (50-47) sends right-hander Braxton Ashcraft (9-3, 3.12 ERA) to the mound. Ashcraft has been the Pirates’ most consistent starter, posting quality starts in seven of his last nine outings. Cleveland (51-46) counters with left-hander Joey Cantillo (8-4, 2.89 ERA), who has been equally effective, allowing two earned runs or fewer in nine of his last 11 starts. The series opener Friday ended in a scoreless tie, with both teams combining for just seven hits before the game was called after 10 innings due to rain. Players to watch include Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes, who will be available out of the bullpen after throwing 5⅓ innings in a win over Milwaukee on July 12. Skenes has been erratic of late, posting a 2-3 record with a 5.57 ERA over his last five starts, but he struck out seven in each of his past two appearances. For Cleveland, Cantillo is the headline act. He enters Saturday on a strong run, having allowed just one earned run in each of his last two starts. In his most recent outing July 12 at Miami, he threw five innings, allowing one run on six hits with nine strikeouts in a 5-2 Guardians win. The Pirates are coming off a 14-5 victory over the Brewers on July 12, with Skenes earning the win and catcher Henry Davis going 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. The Guardians swept a three-game series at Miami over the weekend, winning 5-2, 4-1 and 3-2. Shortstop Brayan Rocchio went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs in the series finale. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 6-5 Pirates victory. Pittsburgh is a -1.5 favorite on the run line, and the over/under is set at 8. Following Saturday’s contest, the teams conclude the series Sunday afternoon before the Pirates travel to New York for a three-game set against the Yankees starting Monday. The Guardians return home to open a four-game series against the Minnesota Twins on Monday.