A.J. Burnett (6-1, 2.20 ERA) takes the mound for the Pittsburgh Pirates (31-25) as they go up against Jimmy Nelson (2-6, 4.41 ERA) and the Milwaukee Brewers (20-37) in the first of a three-game series at PNC Park. The game gets underway at 7:05 p.m. ET on Monday, Jun. 8 and will air on FSN-WI and ROOT-PIT.
Burnett has a 4.65 ERA and a 2-6 record in his career against the Brewers, but is up against a less-than-stellar Milwaukee offense that’s hitting just .233 on the year. Starling Marte (.256, 31 Rs, 11 HRs, 39 RBIs, 10 SBs) went 1 for 3 yesterday with two RBIs. In his pitching opportunities against the Pirates, Nelson is 1-1 with a 1.50 ERA. He gets a strong Pittsburgh offense that’s batting .255. Ryan Braun (.263, 31 Rs, 13 HRs, 39 RBIs, 6 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday.
Pittsburgh is a -159 favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is seven runs. The Pirates perform well as a favorite with a 24-13 record and have an overall money line of +139. They have SU record of 7-3 and are unbeaten as the favorite (5-0) over their last 10 games. Pittsburgh’s pitching staff can be considered one of the best in the NL. The Pirates have a team ERA of 3.10, one of the lowest in their league. The Pirates are fourth in the NL in walks allowed at home with just 2.3 per game. The have been extremely effective at striking opposing batters out, averaging 8.3 strikeouts per game.
On the other side, the Brewers have a record of 15-22 when they are the underdog and are -1,524 overall with the money line. Against teams in their division, they are 10-18 SU and have played poorly as the underdog with a 7-13 record.
The Pirates have gotten the best of the Brewers in head-to-head matchups this season, going 5-1. This game will feature Nelson (RHP) on the mound against the Pirates, who have a 27-21 record when they take on a right-handed starter. Taking the hill against the Brewers will be the right-hander Burnett. They sport a 15-29 record against righties.
Predictions: SU Winner – PIT, O/U – Over
Notes
Pittsburgh earned its third shutout of the season in its last game. Milwaukee has been shut out six times this season.
When the Brewers play into extra innings, they have a 2-2 record. The Pirates are 0-6 when their games exceed nine innings.
Having scored zero runs in their last game, the Brewers are going to have to up their game if they want to win this matchup. The Pirates have a 3-0 record in games where opponents scored that many runs.
When they outhit their opponents, the Brewers are 13-4. The Pirates have a 22-5 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 26th in runs, Milwaukee has earned 212 this season. Pittsburgh ranks 13th with 241 runs.
Pittsburgh and Milwaukee both rank near the bottom of the league in walks. Pittsburgh sits at 22nd with 137 this season and Milwaukee ranks 24th with 134.
When the Pirates hit at least one home run, they are 20-13. When the Brewers hit at least one homer, they have an 18-14 record.
