Jeff Locke (4-3, 4.33 ERA) and Jhoulys Chacin (2-3, 4.42 ERA) start in the second of a three-game series between the Pittsburgh Pirates (29-25) and the Los Angeles Angels (25-29) at PNC Park. The Angels won the last game 9-2, and Los Angeles leads the series 1-0. Action begins at 4:05 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jun. 4 and can be seen on FSW and RTPT.
Locke pitched 9.0 innings in his last outing, surrendering zero runs and striking out one in a 10-0 win over the Marlins. Gregory Polanco (.311, 38 Rs, 8 HRs, 36 RBIs, 7 SBs) went 1 for 3 yesterday. Chacin went 9.0 innings, surrendering one run, striking out 10 and walking one in a 5-1 win over the Tigers in his most recent start. Mike Trout (.318, 39 Rs, 12 HRs, 41 RBIs, 7 SBs) has been successful at the plate for the Angels, going 2 for 3 yesterday with one run and one RBI.
The odds for Pittsburgh and Los Angeles are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. In interleague play, the Pirates have a 20-21 record SU. The Pirates have no trouble scoring as they rank fifth in the NL in home offense with 5.1 runs per game. The Pirates are one of the best in the MLB in terms of batting average with an impressive team average of .276. Pittsburgh is one of the best in the MLB in terms of steals, swiping 39 bases. 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. Opponents have consistently been struck out by the Pirates, who rank third in the NL in strikeouts per game with 7.2.
Los Angeles is 27-19 SU against National League opponents. Offensively, the Angels 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 Angels 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 Angels have established a reputation of overwhelming hitters with an AL-best 6.5 strikeouts per road game.
The Angels have the edge in the season series, 1-0.
Predictions: SU Winner – PIT
Notes
The Pirates are coming off of a weak pitching game where they recorded five strikeouts. The Angels have a record of 13-12 when opponents’ pitchers have five strikeouts or less.
When they are outhit, the Angels are 2-24. The Pirates have a 4-17 record when opponents outhit them.
Pittsburgh and Los Angeles both rank near the bottom of the league in home runs. Pittsburgh sits at 23rd with 52 home runs this season and Los Angeles ranks 25th with 48.
Ranking 15th, Los Angeles is in the top half of the league in hits, notching 8.58 per game. Pittsburgh ranks in the top five at second with 9.72.
Ranking 21st, Los Angeles is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.717). Pittsburgh ranks in the top 10 at sixth with an OPS of .778.
When the Angels allow at least one home run, they are 15-24. When the Pirates allow one or more homers, they have a 16-19 record.
