Who claims slugfest between Pirates, Rockies?
Pittsburgh’s already been away from home for more than a week, so why not cap such a lengthy Western road trip with an offensive bonanza in Denver?
Clint Hurdle’s troops shoot for their sixth straight triumph at Coors Field tonight, with an 8:40 p.m. ET first pitch. Oddsmakers at online sports book Bovada.lv like the visitors as 1.5-run favorites. The over/under run total comes in at 12.
It’s a lofty number, to be sure, but an entirely justifiable one considering the manner in which these two teams are raking. While Colorado (9-9) has dropped four of five, Walt Weiss’ club went bananas at the dish in yesterday’s 12-10 loss to the Dodgers. The Rockies plated five runs in the eighth inning alone and appeared ready to climb two games above .500 until closer Jake McGee imploded in the ninth.
This evening’s starter, Chad Bettis (2-0, 3.33 ERA), can ill afford any kind of a combustible stretch vs. the Pirates. Pittsburgh’s (10-9) batting .311 with 47 runs in its last seven affairs. The Andrew McCutchen-spearheaded attack boasts seven victories in the past eight meetings with Colorado, too.
As for individual Buccos who really thrive in the high altitude, well, the list stretches around Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Shortstop Jordy Mercer’s a career .377 hitter against the Rockies. That’s nothing, though, compared to Starling Marte. The right fielder rakes at a .654 lifetime clip in seven contests in Denver.
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Jeff Locke (0-2, 7.24) would appreciate contributions from anyone and everyone in a few short hours. He surrendered eight runs and 11 base knocks in three-plus frames of an 8-2 defeat in San Diego last week. Be on the lookout for how the southpaw approaches Nolan Arenado here. In head-to-head battles, Colorado’s world-class third baseman is 6 for 11 with two doubles and a homer.
They often say that you can’t build up a large enough lead in LoDo, and tonight’s matchup may put that premise to the test. We still prefer the Pirates in a fairly lopsided final.
MONDAY MLB FREE PICK: PIRATES/ROCKIES OVER 12 RUNS
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