Can Pirates conquer Petco Park tonight?
A tight right hamstring robbed Francisco Liriano of his last turn in the Pittsburgh rotation, but the lefty’s coming back just in time to face one of his favorite foes.
Liriano (1-0, 2.45 ERA) and the Pirates kick off a 10-game road trip by visiting San Diego at 10:10 p.m. ET. Oddsmakers at online sports book Bovada.lv like Clint Hurdle’s club as a 1.5-run favorite tonight. Meanwhile, the over/under total sits at seven runs.
The Buccos (7-6) rebounded from a brief rough stretch with a banner weekend against Milwaukee. Despite leaving 14 men on base, they smashed 17 hits in Sunday’s 9-3 victory. Perennial MVP candidate Andrew McCutchen keeps heating up, too, homering in each of the past two contests.
Petco Park’s regulars can’t exactly relate in terms of offensive success. Only Melvin Upton Jr. carries at least a .289 average for manager Andy Green and the Padres (4-9) are still looking for a starter to go beyond seven innings. Perhaps Colin Rea (0-1, 5.56) will be that guy this evening. The 25-year-old did, after all, limit Philadelphia to one earned run a week ago.
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Of course, Liriano’s credentials out West belong on a different level. He boasts a 1.74 ERA in the last five meetings against San Diego, fanning 41 in 31 frames and permitting a mere four extra-base hits to the 120 batters he’s encountered. Get ready for more of the same.
TUESDAY MLB FREE PICK: PIRATES -1.5
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