Buccos make bid for another W vs. Reds
Having finally snapped out of a staggering stupor, Pittsburgh hopes to re-establish itself as a player in the National League wild-card race starting tonight.
In order to so, Clint Hurdle’s club will have to upend a division rival. The Pirates take on Cincinnati in the opener of a four-game set, with a 7:05 p.m. ET first pitch at PNC Park. Oddsmakers at online sports book BetDSI lean toward the hosts, whereas Bryan Price’s group represents a +135 underdog. The over/under run figure rests at 8.5.
The Buccos downed St. Louis last night, 4-3, snapping an eight-game losing skid in the process. Next on the agenda: climbing back to .500 overall. The beginning-of-the-month malaise has left Pittsburgh at 68-69 overall.
Ostensibly, Cincy would be an easy target against which to get well. Yet the Reds have nearly played their adversary evenly so far in 2016. In 11 meetings between the two squads, the Pirates have only outscored Cincinnati by one run (40-39).
This evenings matchup on the mound features a pair of veterans. Dan Straily (11-7, 3.83 ERA) makes his career-high 28th start for the visitors, while Ivan Nova (11-6, 4.34) receives the assignment from Hurdle. Despite Straily’s quality work for the bulk of the campaign, we expect the Buccos to suddenly build a little momentum in their own backyard. Ride them accordingly.
THURSDAY MLB FREE PICK: PIRATES -1.5