Francisco Liriano (4-6, 3.26 ERA) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (40-32) take on Williams Perez (4-0, 2.78 ERA) and the Atlanta Braves (35-38) in a game that has the potential to be low scoring. This is the first of a three-game series at PNC Park. Action begins at 7:05 p.m. ET on Friday, Jun. 26 and can be seen on FSN-S and ROOT-PIT.
Liriano is 2-1 with a 4.00 ERA in his appearances against the Braves, and goes up against a quality Atlanta offense which is batting .257 this season. Andrew McCutchen (.292, 38 Rs, 9 HRs, 44 RBIs, 3 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one run. When pitching against the Pirates, Perez is 0-0 with a 7.20 ERA, 2.00 WHIP, and five strikeouts. Cameron Maybin (.288, 28 Rs, 6 HRs, 36 RBIs, 13 SBs) has been successful at the plate, going 2 for 4 yesterday.
This one isn’t expected to be close when Pittsburgh, a substantial -188 favorite, takes on Atlanta. The Over/Under (O/U) is sitting at seven runs for this matchup. The Pirates have recorded an overall money line of +330 and have shown high-level performance as a favorite this season with a record of 34-17. Pittsburgh is an impressive 6-2 as the favorite over its last 10 games. The Pirates are one of the best in the NL in terms of hits at home with a phenomenal 8.7 per game.
In games where it is the underdog, Atlanta has a 25-32 record and an overall money line of +308. Offensively, the Braves have really sputtered in the last 10 games. They have decreased their season average of 4.0 runs per game by averaging 2.6 during that stretch. Atlanta is excellent at not striking out on the road with an NL-low 7.1 per game.
The Pirates lead the season series, 2-1. The Pirates have a 32-26 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Perez takes the mound. Liriano (LHP) will be on the hill against the Braves, who have a 4-5 record against left-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – PIT, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, Pittsburgh is 11-17, while Atlanta is 15-25.
The Pirates are coming off of a hot pitching game where they recorded 12 strikeouts. The Braves have a record of 3-1 when they are struck out that many times or more.
When they are outhit, the Braves are 6-24. The Pirates have a 7-23 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking 30th in home runs, Atlanta has hit 42 this season. Pittsburgh ranks 25th with 56 home runs.
Pittsburgh and Atlanta both rank in the top 10 of the league in hits. Pittsburgh sits at eighth with 8.72 hits per game and Atlanta ranks sixth with 8.79.
Pittsburgh and Atlanta both rank near the bottom of the league for their on-base plus slugging percentage. Pittsburgh sits at 21st with an OPS of .688 and Atlanta ranks 23rd with an OPS of .686.
The Braves are 13-26 when they allow at least one home run. The Pirates perform similarly when they allow one or more homers with an 11-22 record.
