Gerrit Cole (5-3, 2.79 ERA) and Patrick Corbin (2-3, 3.99 ERA) start in the last of a three-game series between the Pittsburgh Pirates (26-19) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (21-27) at PNC Park. The Pirates won the last game 5-4, and Pittsburgh leads the series 2-0. Action begins at 12:35 p.m. ET on Thursday, May. 26 and can be seen on FSAZ.
Cole pitched 7.0 innings in his last outing, surrendering one run and walking one in a 2-1 win over the Rockies. Gregory Polanco (.317, 34 Rs, 6 HRs, 29 RBIs, 7 SBs) had another good game yesterday, going 3 for 4 with one run, one RBI, and one stolen base. Corbin went 6.1 innings, surrendering two runs, striking out seven and walking four in an 11-7 win over the Cardinals in his most recent start. Jake Lamb (.276, 22 Rs, 6 HRs, 23 RBIs, 2 SBs) went 1 for 3 yesterday with one run.
The odds for Pittsburgh and Arizona are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently not available. The Pirates have no trouble scoring as they rank fourth in the NL in offense with 0.0 runs per game. The Pirates are one of the best in the MLB in terms of batting average with an impressive team average of .283. Pittsburgh is one of the best in the MLB in terms of steals, swiping 32 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 fifth in the NL in strikeouts per home game with 7.3.
Offensively, the Diamondbacks 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 Diamondbacks capitalize on their at-bats at a high percentage, ranking .269 in the league with a .269 team batting average. The Diamondbacks 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 Pirates lead the season series, 4-1.
Predictions: SU Winner – PIT
Notes
When leading after seven innings, Pittsburgh is 13-10, while Arizona is 10-15.
The Diamondbacks are coming into this game after allowing one walk during their last outing. The Pirates have a 2-1 record when opponents give up one walk or less.
When they are outhit, the Diamondbacks are 2-19. The Pirates have a 3-12 record when opponents outhit them.
Pittsburgh ranks near the bottom of the league when it comes to home runs, hitting 42 this season. Arizona ranks in the top 10 at ninth with 55.
Pittsburgh and Arizona both rank in the top five of the league in hits. Pittsburgh sits at second with 9.93 hits per game and Arizona ranks third with 9.46.
Pittsburgh and Arizona both rank in the top five of the league for their on-base plus slugging percentage. Pittsburgh sits at third with an OPS of .793, and Arizona ranks fifth with an OPS of .775.
When the Diamondbacks allow at least one home run, they are 7-23. When the Pirates allow one or more homers, they have a 15-16 record.
