In the last of a three-game series between the Pittsburgh Pirates (3-5) and the Detroit Tigers (3-5) at PNC Park, Jeff Locke (1-0, 3.00 ERA) and Alfredo Simon (1-0, 5.06 ERA) get the start. The Tigers won the last game 2-0 and the series is currently tied 1-1. The game gets underway at 7:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Apr. 15 and will air on FSN-DET+ and ROOT-PIT.
In his most recent outing, Locke pitched 6.0 innings, giving up two runs, striking out two and walking one in a 6-2 victory over the Brewers. Pedro Alvarez (.308 ) went 1 for 3 yesterday. In his pitching opportunities against the Pirates, Simon is 3-4 with a 3.50 ERA, 37 strikeouts and 22 walks. Miguel Cabrera (.471 ) went 1 for 5 yesterday.
Pittsburgh, a -128 favorite, will look to capitalize at home against Detroit. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is set at seven runs. The Pirates are 1-1 as the favorite and have an overall money line of -106.
On the other side, the Tigers have a record of 2-1 when they are the underdog and are +510 overall with the money line. NL opponents have totally shut down Detroit this season. The Tigers have gone without a win, holding a record of 0-1 in games where they were ranked as the underdog. When it comes to scoring runs, the Tigers haven’t performed as well against teams from the NL. During those games, they averaged four runs per game, below their 7.3 season average. Detroit is one of the top hitting teams in the league with 28 extra base hits. Detroit is a terror on the base paths, with an MLB-best 11 stolen bases. The Tigers are a problem for opposing batters, sporting an AL-low 2.47 ERA this season. They have a WHIP of 0.94 on the year, good for third in the league.
The Pirates will take on a right-hander (Simon) in this game and have a 3-4 record against right-handed starting pitchers this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – DET, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, Detroit is 5-1, while Pittsburgh is 1-2.
The Tigers are coming into this game after allowing zero walks during their last outing. The Pirates have a 2-1 record when opponents give up that many walks.
When they outhit their opponents, the Pirates are 3-1. The Tigers have a 7-0 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking first in runs, Detroit has earned 53 this season. Pittsburgh ranks 15th with 29 runs.
Ranking 27th, Pittsburgh is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 14 this season. Detroit ranks in the top five at third with 37.
When the Pirates hit at least one home run, they are 3-2. When the Tigers hit at least one homer, they have a 5-1 record.
