In the first of a four-game series between the Miami Marlins (50-74) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (74-48) at Marlins Park, Tom Koehler (8-11, 4.02 ERA) and J.A. Happ (5-7, 4.42 ERA) take the mound. The game starts at 7:10 p.m. ET on Monday, Aug. 24 and will air on FSFL, RTPT and MLBN.
In his most recent outing, Koehler pitched 4.1 innings, allowing seven runs, striking out four and walking four in an 8-7 loss to the Brewers. The Pirates were victorious over the Diamondbacks 4-1 the last time Happ pitched. He went 6.0 innings, giving up zero runs, striking out three and walking two. Andrew McCutchen (.295, 71 Rs, 19 HRs, 79 RBIs, 6 SBs) has been hitting the ball well for the Pirates, going 2 for 4 yesterday with two runs, one home run, and one RBI.
Miami, a +116 underdog, will look to capitalize at home against Pittsburgh. The matchup currently has an eight-run Over/Under (O/U). The Marlins have a losing record of 28-47 when playing as the underdog and an overall money line of -2,224. The Marlins are a dangerous hitting team with an MLB-best 290 extra base hits. The Marlins are a nightmare for opponents on the bases with 89 steals, one of the highest totals in baseball.
On the other side, the Pirates have a nice record of 57-27 when they are favored and are +1,645 overall with the money line. They have played at the top of their game when rated as favorite recently. They managed a 4-1 record when playing as the favorite and an SU record of 8-2. The Pirates are a problem for opposing batters, sporting a 3.19 ERA this season.
So far this season, the Pirates are 3-0 against the Marlins. This game will feature Happ (LHP) on the mound against the Marlins, who have a 10-15 record when they take on a left-handed starter. The right-handed Koehler will take the mound against the Pirates, who have a 60-38 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – Pit, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, Pittsburgh is 26-26, while Miami is 24-40.
The Pirates managed to give up four walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Marlins who are heading in with a 22-14 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they are outhit, the Marlins are 10-48. The Pirates have a 16-37 record when opponents outhit them.
Miami and Pittsburgh both rank near the bottom of the league in home runs. Miami sits at 29th with 90 home runs this season and Pittsburgh ranks 21st with 107.
Ranking sixth, Miami is in the top 10 of the league in hits, notching 8.62 per game. Pittsburgh ranks in the top five at fourth with 9.09.
Ranking 29th, Miami is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.684). Pittsburgh ranks in the top half at 13th with an OPS of .722.
When the Pirates allow at least one home run, they are 30-30. When the Marlins allow one or more homers, they have a 23-46 record.
