Justin Nicolino (2-2, 4.37 ERA) and Jeff Locke (3-3, 5.08 ERA) start in the first of a four-game series between the Miami Marlins (26-24) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (28-21) at Marlins Park. Action begins at 7:10 p.m. ET on Monday, May. 30 and can be seen on RTPT.
Nicolino pitched 5.2 innings in his last outing, surrendering three runs, striking out six and walking one in a 4-3 win over the Rays. Marcell Ozuna (.344, 34 Rs, 10 HRs, 27 RBIs) had another good game yesterday, going 2 for 4 with three runs, one home run, and one RBI. Locke went 6.1 innings, surrendering four runs, striking out one and walking one in a 5-4 win over the Diamondbacks in his most recent start. Gregory Polanco (.311, 36 Rs, 7 HRs, 31 RBIs, 7 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday.
The odds for Miami and Pittsburgh are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable as of now. The Marlins have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 0.0 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 0.0 runs per game. The Marlins are one of the best in the MLB in terms of batting average with an impressive team average of .274. Miami’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.
Offensively, they average 0.0 runs per game, which is good for fourth in the NL. The Pirates are tough outs for opponents, ranking second in the NL with 10.0 hits per game. The Pirates are an excellent base stealing team with 37 stolen bases, ranking third in the MLB. The Pirates 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 have established a reputation of overwhelming hitters with an NL-best 7.3 strikeouts per game, making them one of the top five teams in the league.
Predictions: SU Winner – PIT
Notes
The Marlins managed to give up five walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Pirates who are coming in with a 12-4 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they are outhit, the Marlins are 4-16. The Pirates have a 4-13 record when opponents outhit them.
Both falling near the bottom of the league based on total home runs this season, Miami ranks 24th with 46 homers and Pittsburgh is 22nd with 48.
Miami and Pittsburgh both rank in the top five of the league in hits. Miami sits at fourth with 9.46 hits per game and Pittsburgh ranks second with 9.96.
Ranking 10th, Miami is in the top 10 of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.754). Pittsburgh ranks in the top five at third with an OPS of .794.
The Pirates are 16-18 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The Marlins are 12-11 when they allow at least one homer.
