Jameson Taillon (3-2, 3.00 ERA) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (62-59) meet Doug Fister (11-8, 3.76 ERA) and the Houston Astros (64-60) in the first of a three-game interleague series at PNC Park. The game gets underway at 7:05 p.m. ET on Monday, Aug. 22 and will air on RTSW and RTPT.
In his most recent outing, Taillon pitched 6.0 innings, giving up three runs, striking out five and walking one in a 4-3 victory over the Giants. Gregory Polanco (.270, 63 Rs, 17 HRs, 67 RBIs, 11 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one run. The Astros were unsuccessful the last time Fister pitched. He did not do well, pitching 4.0 innings, allowing four runs, striking out three and walking one in an 8-2 loss to the Cardinals. Jose Altuve (.365, 90 Rs, 20 HRs, 82 RBIs, 26 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one run and one RBI.
Pittsburgh, a -150 favorite, will look to capitalize at home against Houston. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is eight runs. The Pirates are 33-33 as the favorite and have an overall money line of -19. Over the last 10 games, they have performed poorly when playing as the favorite (1-3). The Pirates come into the game with the NL’s fourth-ranked home scoring offense, averaging 4.7 runs per game in their own ballpark. The Pirates are a stellar hitting team with 8.8 hits per game, one of the highest marks in the NL.
Switching gears, the Astros come into this game with a win percentage of .514 when playing as the underdog (18-17) and an overall money line of -1,125. Against interleague opponents, they are 8-6 SU and have an unblemished 2-0 record when they were an underdog to win. The Astros are the top-ranked scoring offense in the AL when playing on the road, averaging five runs per game so far. The Astros are known for their bats, hitting 408 extra base hits. Houston has an eye for the strike zone on the road, averaging an AL-best 3.6 walks per game. Houston’s pitching staff has allowed an average of 6.4 runs per game during the last 10 games, higher than their season average of 4.2. They also have some of the most overpowering arms in the AL with an average of 8.7 strikeouts per game.
The Pirates will take on a right-hander (Fister) in this game and have a 44-51 record against right-handed starting pitchers this season. The right-handed Taillon will take the mound against the Astros, who have a 44-39 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – HOU, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after seven innings, Houston is 31-25, while Pittsburgh is 25-31.
The Astros are coming into this game after allowing one walk during their last outing. The Pirates have a 7-14 record when opponents give up one walk or less.
When they are outhit, the Astros are 9-52. The Pirates have a 16-47 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking 26th in home runs, Pittsburgh has hit 113 this season. Houston ranks 14th with 154 home runs.
Ranking 11th, Houston is in the top half of the league in hits, notching 8.54 per game. Pittsburgh ranks in the top five with 8.81.
Ranking 18th, Pittsburgh is in the bottom half of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.734). Houston ranks in the top half at 14th with an OPS of .745.
The Astros are 41-39 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The Pirates are 32-46 when they allow at least one homer.
