Juan Nicasio (2-2, 4.50 ERA) and Dan Straily (0-0, 3.50 ERA) are on the hill in the first of a three-game series between the Pittsburgh Pirates (13-9) and the Cincinnati Reds (9-13) at PNC Park. Action begins at 7:05 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 29 and can be seen on FSOH and RTPT.
Nicasio pitched 5.0 innings in his last outing, surrendering two runs, striking out four and walking four in a 7-1 defeat to the Diamondbacks. Andrew McCutchen (.247, 16 Rs, 5 HRs, 10 RBIs, 1 SB) had another good game Wednesday, going 2 for 5 with one run. Straily went 4.2 innings, surrendering three runs, striking out five and walking three in a 13-5 win over the Cubs in his most recent start. Zack Cozart (.397, 13 Rs, 2 HRs, 8 RBIs) has been successful at the plate for the Reds, going 2 for 4 Wednesday with two runs, one home run, and one RBI.
The odds for Pittsburgh and Cincinnati are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable as of now. Within its division, Pittsburgh has a record of 4-9 SU. The Pirates have no trouble scoring as they rank third in the NL in offense with 0.0 runs per game. The Pirates lead the MLB in batting average with an impressive team average of .294. Pittsburgh is one of the best in the NL in terms of walks, earning an average of 4.4 per game. Pittsburgh’s pitching staff has been doing better against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, only allowing an average of 0.0 runs per game, well under their season average of 0.0. The Pirates are the fifth-best team in the NL at limiting hits during home games, allowing only 7.0 hits per game to their opponents this season.
The Reds are 6-3 against NL Central foes. Offensively, the Reds have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 0.0 runs per game by averaging 0.0 during that stretch. The Reds are an excellent base stealing team with 17 stolen bases, ranking fourth in the MLB. The Reds allow 0.0 runs per game, but have improved upon those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 0.0 runs per game during that span. The Reds have established a reputation of overwhelming hitters with an NL-best 7.0 strikeouts per game, making them one of the top five teams in the league.
The Reds lead the season series, 2-1.
Predictions: SU Winner – PIT
Notes
For the fifth time this season, the Reds registered at least two errors in a game.
The Pirates managed to give up four walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Reds who are coming in with a 3-4 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
It looks like the Pirates have a slight leg up on the Reds, as the Pirates have won their last four games while the Reds have lost their last four.
When they outhit their opponents, the Reds are 7-4. The Pirates have a 10-3 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 16th, Cincinnati sits in the bottom half of the league in runs, scoring 85 this season. Pittsburgh ranks in the top five at third with 119.
Ranking 30th, Cincinnati is at the bottom of the league in walks, notching 53 this season. Pittsburgh ranks in the top five at second with 96.
When the Pirates hit at least one home run, they are 7-4. When the Reds hit at least one homer, they have a 7-6 record.
