Jeff Locke (4-3, 4.74 ERA) and Johnny Cueto (4-4, 2.98 ERA) take the hill in the first of a three-game series between the Pittsburgh Pirates (39-30) and the Cincinnati Reds (32-36) at PNC Park. Action begins at 7:05 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Jun. 23 and can be seen on FSN-OH and ROOT-PIT.
Locke is 2-2 with a 3.14 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 23 strikeouts against the Reds. Andrew McCutchen (.287, 36 Rs, 8 HRs, 42 RBIs, 3 SBs) went 1 for 2 Sunday. When pitching against the Pirates, Cueto is 18-4 with a 2.13 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 169 strikeouts. Todd Frazier (.292, 50 Rs, 23 HRs, 48 RBIs, 8 SBs) went 1 for 4 Sunday with one run, one home run, and two RBIs.
The odds for Pittsburgh and Cincinnati are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently not available. Within its division, Pittsburgh has a record of 13-18 SU. The Pirates have seen a decline in scoring as of late, averaging 2.9 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 4.0 runs per game. Pittsburgh is one of the best in the MLB in terms of steals, swiping 51 bases. As for the pitchers, opposing offenses that come to PNC Park have been stifled by the Pirates, who have a team ERA of only 2.63 at home. The Pirates are the second-best team in the league at limiting hits and walks to their opponents, recording a WHIP of 1.19 so far this season.
The Reds are 13-15 against NL Central foes. The Reds are an excellent base-stealing team with an MLB-best 67 stolen bases.
The Reds have controlled the season series, 5-1. The Pirates have a 31-25 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Cueto takes the mound. Locke (LHP) will be on the hill against the Reds, who have a 9-9 record against left-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – CIN
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, Cincinnati is 12-17, while Pittsburgh is 11-16.
The Pirates are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Reds have a 10-18 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they are outhit, the Reds are 6-26. The Pirates have a 6-21 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking 25th in home runs, Pittsburgh has hit 54 this season. Cincinnati ranks sixth with 82 home runs.
Ranking 12th, Cincinnati is in the top half of the league in hits, notching 8.28 per game. Pittsburgh ranks in the top 10 at seventh with 8.75.
Ranking 22nd, Pittsburgh is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.688). Cincinnati ranks in the top half at 13th with an OPS of .719.
When the Reds allow at least one home run, they are 15-28, well-matched with the Pirates who are 10-20 when allowing at least one homer.
