Chris Heston (5-3, 3.82 ERA) and A.J. Burnett (5-1, 1.81 ERA) are on the hill in the second of a three-game series between the San Francisco Giants (30-23) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (27-24) at AT&T Park. The Pirates won the last game 4-3 and Pittsburgh leads the series 1-0. Action begins at 10:15 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Jun. 2 and can be seen on ROOT-PIT, CSN-BAY and MLB.
Heston pitched 7.1 innings in his last outing, surrendering zero runs, striking out six and walking one in a 7-0 win over the Braves. Brandon Belt (.305, 25 Rs, 7 HRs, 24 RBIs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with two RBIs. Burnett is 6-3 with a 2.04 ERA against the Giants in his career. He is up against a quality San Francisco offense that’s batting .271. Andrew McCutchen (.278, 28 Rs, 7 HRs, 32 RBIs, 3 SBs) went 1 for 2 yesterday with two RBIs.
San Francisco is a slim -107 favorite at home against Pittsburgh. The matchup has an estimated Over/Under (O/U) of six runs. The Giants have an overall money line of +574 and a record as the favorite of 14-14. Opposing offenses that come to AT&T Park have been stifled by the Giants, who have a team ERA of only 2.92 at home. The Giants are the fifth-best team in the NL at limiting walks to their opponents, allowing only 2.8 walks per game so far this season.
In the other locker room, Pittsburgh is coming in with an overall money line of -163 and a disappointing record of 5-11 as the underdog. Offensively, the Pirates have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 4.2 runs per game by averaging 5.4 during that stretch. Pittsburgh’s pitching staff is one of the top in the NL at pitching on the road, with a 2.90 ERA.
The Pirates have the edge in the season series, 1-0. The Giants have a 22-19 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Burnett takes the mound. Heston (RHP) will be on the hill against the Pirates, who have a 23-20 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – SF, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, San Francisco is 7-7, while Pittsburgh is 9-12.
The Giants are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Pirates have a 13-16 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they are outhit, the Giants are 3-13. The Pirates have a 4-15 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking 21st in home runs, San Francisco has hit 42 this season. Pittsburgh ranks 20th with 43 home runs.
Ranking sixth, Pittsburgh is in the top 10 of the league in hits, notching 8.66 per game. San Francisco ranks in the top five at second with 9.42.
Ranking 21st, Pittsburgh is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.692). San Francisco ranks in the top 10 at eighth with an OPS of .735.
When the Pirates allow at least one home run, they are 8-16. When the Giants allow one or more homers, they have a 14-16 record.
