Pirates vs. Reds Pick
Will the host Cincinnati Reds down the Pittsburgh Pirates for a second day in a row?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Reds are a -116 favorite on the moneyline. The Pirates are a -104 underdog, while the over-under is set at 8.5.
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The start for the Pirates goes to Gerrit Cole (10-8, 4.16 ERA). while the Reds will go with Luis Castillo (2-6, 3.45). Cole has struggled this season for how high his expectations are, posting a WHIP of 1.26 and giving up 27 home runs in 160 innings. He has 148 strikeouts, while his road ERA is 4.10 in 14 starts. Castillo has been a revelation for the Reds as the 24-year-old has a 1.19 WHIP in 70 1/3 innings while striking out 74. He has a 4.50 home ERA in 30 innings.
Pittsburgh has a 61-68 record and is 26-37 on the road, while Cincinnati is 55-74 and 31-33 at home. The Reds won the series opener 9-5 and have won nine of the last 11 meetings. The over-under is 5-5-1 in those games.
On Friday night, the Reds received a strong performance from Robert Stephenson as he fanned a career-high 11 and gave up two earned runs over 5 2/3 innings. Scott Schebler was 3-for-3 with a home run, three runs and three RBIs. Eugenio Suarez was 2-for-4 with three runs, while Adam Duvall hit a home run. Ivan Nova allowed seven runs (five earned) in five innings to take the loss. Josh Bell was 4-for-5 with a home run, two runs and three RBIs to lead Pittsburgh. Jordy Mercer added two hits.
Castillo hasn’t been at his best at home yet, but it’s still a very small sample size and also a hitter’s park. Cole has been a disappointment this year and expect the Reds to tag him for some run with their offense clicking right now.
MLB DAILY PREDICTION: CINCINNATI REDS -116