Charlie Morton (4-0, 2.05 ERA) and Jose Quintana (3-6, 4.00 ERA) take the hill in the second of a two-game series between the Pittsburgh Pirates (36-27) and the Chicago White Sox (28-34) at PNC Park. The Pirates won the last game 11-0, continuing a five-game winning streak. Action begins at 7:05 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Jun. 16 and can be seen on CSN-CHI and ROOT-PIT.
Morton pitched 7.1 innings in his most recent start, surrendering zero runs, striking out six and walking three in a 2-0 win over the Brewers. Starling Marte (.284, 35 Rs, 12 HRs, 45 RBIs, 11 SBs) continued his strong play yesterday, going 4 for 5 with two runs and two RBIs. Quintana went 7.0 innings, surrendering one run, striking out three and walking two in a 4-1 win over the Astros in his last outing.
Pittsburgh is a -160 favorite against Chicago and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at seven runs. The Pirates have recorded an overall money line of +332 and have shown high-level performance as a favorite this season with a record of 29-15. Pittsburgh is an impressive 7-2 as the favorite over its last 10 games. The Pirates have seen a decline in scoring against teams in the AL, averaging 2.6 runs per game. They average 4.0 runs per game on the season. Pittsburgh is one of the best in the MLB in terms of steals, swiping 48 bases. Crossing over to the pitching staff, opposing offenses have been stifled by the Pirates, who have a team ERA of only 2.85. The Pirates are the fifth-best team in the league at limiting hits and walks to their opponents, recording a WHIP of 1.20 so far this season.
Over in the other dugout, Chicago is coming in with an overall money line of -719 and a disappointing record of 12-20 as the underdog. They played poorly as the underdog over their last 10 games with a 1-3 record, and a 4-6 record SU. Offensively, the White Sox have really picked up the pace in interleague games. They have exceeded their season average of 3.6 runs per game by averaging 5.2 in those contests. The White Sox have established a reputation of overwhelming hitters with an AL-best 8.2 strikeouts per game, making them one of the top five teams in the league.
The Pirates have the edge in the season series, 1-0. The Pirates have a 5-4 record against left-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Quintana takes the mound. Morton (RHP) will be on the hill against the White Sox, who have a 23-27 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – PIT, O/U – Over
Notes
After last game’s shutout win against the Chicago White Sox, the Pirates now have seven shutouts this season. The White Sox have been shut out in five games this season.
Pittsburgh has won 42% (10-14) of its games when leading after 7 innings. However, Chicago has won 50% (12-12) of its games when taking a late lead.
The Pirates are coming into this matchup after a high-scoring game where they scored a whopping 11 runs. The White Sox have a 0-4 record when opponents score that many runs or more.
It looks like the Pirates have a slight leg up on the White Sox, as the Pirates have won their last five games while the White Sox have lost their last four.
When they outhit their opponents, the White Sox are 20-4. The Pirates have a 26-5 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 28th, Chicago sits near the bottom of the league in runs, scoring 221 this season. Pittsburgh ranks in the top half at 15th with 261.
Pittsburgh and Chicago both rank near the bottom of the league in walks. Pittsburgh sits at 22nd with 160 this season and Chicago ranks 28th with 142.
When the Pirates hit at least one home run, they are 21-14. When the White Sox hit at least one homer, they have a 16-15 record.
