Keyvius Sampson (2-3, 6.68 ERA) and J.A. Happ (8-7, 3.90 ERA) are on the hill in the last of a three-game series between the Cincinnati Reds (57-80) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (82-55) at the Great American Ball Park. The Pirates won the last game 7-3 and the series is currently tied 1-1. Action begins at 7:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Sep. 9 and can be seen on FSOH and RTPT.
Sampson pitched 3.0 innings in his most recent start, surrendering three runs, striking out three and walking three in a 7-3 defeat to the Brewers. Happ went 7.0 innings, surrendering zero runs and striking out eight in a 9-3 win over the Cardinals in his last outing. Jung Ho Kang (.288, 55 Rs, 14 HRs, 52 RBIs, 5 SBs) has been successful at the plate, going 2 for 5 yesterday with two runs, one home run, and one RBI.
Pittsburgh takes on Cincinnati as a -134 favorite. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at eight runs. The Reds have recorded an overall money line of -2,046 and have shown a weak performance as an underdog this season with a record of 28-54. Within its division, Cincinnati has an 8-8 as the underdog and a 27-31 SU. The Reds have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 5.5 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 4.0 runs per game. The Reds are one of the best in the NL in terms of hits at home with a phenomenal 8.8 per game. Cincinnati leads the MLB in steals, swiping 120 bases. As for the pitchers, opponents have consistently been struck out by the Reds, who rank fifth in the NL in strikeouts per home game with 8.3.
Over in the other dugout, Pittsburgh is coming in with an overall money line of +1,528 and an impressive record of 63-32 as the favorite. They have played poorly as the favorite with a 16-18 record against fellow NL Central members, and a 4-6 record SU. Offensively, they average 4.2 runs per game, which is good for fifth in the NL. The Pirates are tough outs for opponents, ranking third in the NL with 9.2 hits per road game. Pittsburgh’s pitching staff is one of the top in the NL, with a 3.20 ERA.
The Reds lead the season series, 10-5. The Reds have a 13-19 record against left-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Happ takes the mound.
Predictions: SU Winner – Pit, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, Pittsburgh is 29-29, while Cincinnati is 18-31.
The Pirates are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Reds have a 21-36 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they outhit their opponents, the Reds are 44-16. The Pirates have a 58-7 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 24th, Cincinnati is near the bottom of the league in runs, scoring 550 this season. Pittsburgh ranks in the top half at 14th with 582.
Ranking 19th, Pittsburgh is in the bottom half of the league in walks, notching 374 this season. Cincinnati ranks in the top 10 at seventh with 425.
When the Reds hit at least one home run, they are 48-37. When the Pirates hit at least one homer, they have a 54-25 record.
