Gerrit Cole (4-3, 3.05 ERA) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (22-18) meet Eddie Butler (2-1, 4.74 ERA) and the Colorado Rockies (20-20) in the first of a three-game series at PNC Park. The game gets underway at 7:05 p.m. ET on Friday, May. 20 and will air on RTPT and RTRM.
In his last start, Cole pitched 8.0 innings, giving up zero runs and striking out seven in a 2-1 victory over the Cubs. Gregory Polanco (.308, 30 Rs, 5 HRs, 22 RBIs, 5 SBs) continued his strong season yesterday, going 2 for 5 with two runs, one home run, and two RBIs. The Rockies were also victorious the last time Butler pitched. He struggled, going 5.0 innings, allowing four runs and striking out three in a 7-4 victory over the Mets. Trevor Story (.287, 26 Rs, 12 HRs, 31 RBIs, 3 SBs) has been doing well offensively for the Rockies, going 3 for 5 yesterday with one run, one home run, and three RBIs.
Oddsmakers have deemed this game an even matchup and the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable at the moment. The Pirates come into the game with the fifth-ranked scoring offense in the NL, averaging 0.0 runs per game. The Pirates are a superb hitting team with a .281 team batting average, one of the highest marks in the MLB. Pittsburgh’s pitching staff has put it all together in the past 10 games. Its average runs allowed per game dropped to 0.0 during that span, compared to its 0.0 season average.
They sport the fourth-ranked offense in the NL, averaging 0.0 runs per game. One of the top hitting teams in the league are the Rockies, who have a .274 batting average. Colorado’s pitching staff has allowed an average of 0.0 runs per game during the last 10 games, lower than their season average of 0.0.
So far this season, the Pirates are 3-0 against the Rockies.
Predictions: SU Winner – PIT
Notes
The Pirates are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Rockies have a 5-9 record when opponents give up two walks or less.
When they are outhit, the Pirates are 2-12. The Rockies have a 3-14 record when opponents outhit them.
Pittsburgh ranks in the bottom half of the league when it comes to home runs, hitting 39 this season. Colorado ranks in the top half at 13th with 47.
Pittsburgh and Colorado both rank in the top five of the league in hits. Pittsburgh sits at second with 9.88 hits per game and Colorado ranks third with 9.52.
Pittsburgh and Colorado both rank in the top five of the league for their on-base plus slugging percentage. Pittsburgh sits at third with an OPS of .794, and Colorado ranks fifth with an OPS of .786.
The Rockies are 9-16 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The Pirates are 13-15 when they allow at least one homer.
