Sunday, July 12, 2015

PNC Park

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Tim Cooney (0-0) vs. Francisco Liriano (5-6)

The Pittsburgh Pirates host the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park on Sunday. The Cardinals send Tim Cooney to the mound to face Francisco Liriano of the Pirates. The opening line for this matchup has St. Louis at +158 and Pittsburgh at -168. The over/under was set at 6.5. The Cardinals, with a 47-40 run line record, cover the spread 54% of the time. They also have a 33-51 over/under record. The Pirates are 38-48 against the run line and have a 35-42 over/under record. They cover the spread 44% of the time.

The Cardinals head into this matchup with a 56-31 record, including 25-20 on the road. Tim Cooney has an earned run average of 3.95 and is 0-0 so far on the season while having a 1.32 WHIP. In his starts, the Cardinals are 1-2 over his 13.2 innings pitched this season while giving up 14 hits during those innings. The Cardinals are also 3-0 against the over/under in his starts. His teammates are averaging 5 runs a game when he pitches. The bullpen has given up 219 hits on the season and have a earned run average of 2.28. Teams are hitting .232 against the bullpen while being struck out 232 times and walking 84 times this season. As a team, St. Louis has allowed 8.13 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.1 batters per nine. They are 1st in the league in team earned run average at 2.66.

St. Louis ranks 7th in the league in team batting average at .257 while hitting .251 on the road. The Cardinals on-base percentage sits at .322, which puts them at 9th in the league and they have a team slugging percentage of .389. They rank 11th in baseball with 8.7 hits per game and Jhonny Peralta leads the team with 95.

With a 30-16 home record, Pittsburgh will hope to improve on their 51-35 overall mark. Francisco Liriano is starting this game 5-6 for the season with an earned run average of 2.99 and a WHIP of 1.01. In his starts, the Pirates are 7-10 and he has allowed 74 hits over 108.1 innings pitched this season. The Pirates are also 7-7 against the over/under in his starts. His teammates score an average of 4.3 runs a game when he pitches. The bullpen has given up 228 hits on the season and have a team earned run average of 2.41. Teams are hitting .232 against the Pirates bullpen while being struck out 231 times and walking 72 times this season. As a team, Pittsburgh has allowed 8.15 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.88 batters per nine. They are 2nd in the league in team earned run average at 2.83.

They rank 11th in the league in team batting average with a .256 average while hitting .255 at home. The Pirates on-base percentage sits at .317, which puts them at 15th in the league and they have a team slugging percentage of .380. They rank 8th in baseball with 8.8 hits per game and Andrew McCutchen leads the team with 91.

In terms of team defense, the Cardinals have a fielding percentage of .985 with 49 total errors, 851 assists and 2,354 put outs. For the home team, they hold a .983 team fielding percentage while committing 59 errors, accumulating 1033 assists and compiling 2,375 put outs.

St. Louis Cardinals Betting Trends

The St. Louis Cardinals are 33-51 against the over/under so far this season

The St. Louis Cardinals are 47-40 against the run line so far this season

Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 35-42 against the over/under so far this season

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 38-48 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

St. Louis Cardinals

07/06/15 P Jaime Garcia Groin Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (7/1)
07/03/15 CF Jon Jay Wrist Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (7/1)
07/01/15 P Matt Belisle Elbow Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (6/26)
06/09/15 LF Matt Holliday Quad Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (06/10)
05/27/15 1B Matt Adams Quad Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (05/26), out for regular season
05/03/15 P Jordan Walden Bicep Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (4/30)
04/28/15 P Adam Wainwright Achilles Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (4/25); out for season

Pittsburgh Pirates

07/10/15 LF Starling Marte Oblique doubtful Saturday vs. St. Louis Cardinals
07/06/15 3B Josh Harrison Thumb Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (7/6)
06/24/15 RF Corey Hart Shoulder Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (6/22)
06/04/15 LF Jaff Decker Calf Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (3/30)
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)
04/06/15 SS Justin Sellers Heel Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (3/27)

Josh's Pick: Take the Cardinals

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