Sunday, August 23, 2015

PNC Park

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Ryan Vogelsong (9-8) vs. Francisco Liriano (8-6)

The San Francisco Giants visit PNC Park on Sunday to play the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Giants send Ryan Vogelsong to the mound to face Francisco Liriano of the Pirates. The opening line for this matchup has San Francisco at -141 and Pittsburgh at +131. The over/under was set at 9. The Giants, with a 68-54 run line record, cover the spread 56% of the time. They also have a 58-55 over/under record. The Pirates have a 54-55 over/under record and a 54-66 run line mark, which means they are covering the spread 45% of the time.

The Giants head into this matchup with a 66-56 record, including 31-32 on the road. Ryan Vogelsong has an earned run average of 3.93 and is 9-8 so far on the season while having a 1.35 WHIP. The Giants are 11-8 over his 116.2 innings pitched and he's also given up 108 hits over that time period. Their record against the over/under when he starts is 8-10. The team is averaging 4.6 runs when he starts. The bullpen has given up 326 hits on the season and have an earned run average of 3.25. Opposing teams are hitting .234 against the Giants bullpen while walking 106 times and striking out 308 times. San Francisco is averaging 7.32 strikeouts per game while getting 8.44 hits per nine innings as a team. They rank 10th in baseball in team earned run average at 3.66.

San Francisco is batting .270 as a team, which is good for 2nd in the league and hitting .270 away from home. The Giants on-base percentage sits at .327, which puts them at 4th in the league and they have a team slugging percentage of .411. Buster Posey leads the team in hits with 134 while the team ranks 3rd in baseball with 9.3 hits per game.

With a 42-20 home record, Pittsburgh will hope to improve on their 72-48 overall mark. Francisco Liriano is starting this game 8-6 for the season with an earned run average of 3.35 and a WHIP of 1.14. The Pirates have a record of 13-10 over the 142.1 innings he's pitched during which he's given up 111 hits. Their record against the over/under when he starts is 13-7. The team is averaging 5.3 runs when he takes the field. The bullpen has given up 337 hits on the season and have a team earned run average of 2.57. Opposing teams are hitting .234 against the Pirates bullpen while walking 118 times and striking out 337 times. Pittsburgh is averaging 7.96 strikeouts per game while getting 8.52 hits per nine innings as a team. They rank 2nd in the league in team earned run average at 3.20.

They are batting .261 as a team, which is good for 7th in the league and hitting .265 at home. The Pirates on-base percentage sits at .322, which puts them at 9th in the league and they have a team slugging percentage of .396. Andrew McCutchen leads the team in hits with 125 while the team ranks 7th in baseball with 9.1 hits a game.

In terms of team defense, the Giants have a fielding percentage of .987 with 58 total errors, 1,261 assists and 3,257 put outs. The Pirates have committed 87 errors on the season with 1424 assists and 3,323 put outs leading to a team fielding percentage of .982 on the year.

San Francisco Giants Betting Trends

The San Francisco Giants are 58-55 against the over/under so far this season

The San Francisco Giants are 68-54 against the run line so far this season

Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 54-55 against the over/under so far this season

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 54-66 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

San Francisco Giants

08/20/15 RF Hunter Pence Oblique Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (8/18)
08/11/15 CF Angel Pagan Knee Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (8/11)
08/07/15 P Mike Leake Hamstring Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (8/3)
08/04/15 2B Joe Panik Back Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (8/2)
07/31/15 P Tim Hudson Shoulder Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (7/31)
07/01/15 P Tim Lincecum Forearm Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (6/28)
06/18/15 2B Marco Scutaro Back Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (6/17); out for season

Pittsburgh Pirates

08/08/15 P Deolis Guerra Knee Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (8/7)
08/01/15 P A.J. Burnett Elbow Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (7/31)
07/20/15 SS Jordy Mercer Knee Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (7/20)
07/19/15 CF Gorkys Hernandez Shoulder Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (7/13)
06/24/15 RF Corey Hart Shoulder Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (6/22)
05/07/15 LF Andrew Lambo Plantar Fasciitis Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (5/4)
04/06/15 P Brandon Cumpton Elbow Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (3/27)

Tony's Pick: Take the Giants

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Read more articles by Tony Sink