Saturday, September 10, 2016

PNC Park

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Robert Stephenson vs. Drew Hutchison

The Cincinnati Reds visit PNC Park on Saturday to play the Pittsburgh Pirates. The probable starters are Robert Stephenson for the Reds and Drew Hutchison for the Pirates. The opening line for this matchup has Cincinnati at +139 and Pittsburgh at -149. The over/under was set at 9. The Reds have a 74-55-10 over/under record and a 72-67-0 run line mark, meaning they cover 52% of the time. The Pirates are 65-73-0 against the run line and have a 76-59-3 over/under record. They cover the spread 47% of the time.

The Reds head into this matchup with a 57-82 record, including 23-45 on the road. Starting pitcher Robert Stephenson has a 2-1 record with an earned run average of 3.12 and a WHIP of 1.15. He has 13 strikeouts over his 17.1 innings pitched and he has given up 15 hits so far this season. He has allowed 7.8 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 5.69. The bullpen this year has an earned run average of 5.02 and they have given up 487 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .252 against the bullpen while being struck out 450 times and walking 249 times this season. As a team, Cincinnati has allowed 9.13 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.76 batters per nine. They are 28th in the league in team earned run average at 4.92. The Reds pitchers have collectively given up 1,246 base hits and 673 earned runs. They have allowed 228 home runs this season and they allow 1.7 homers per nine innings as a staff. Cincinnati as a pitching staff has walked 532 batters and struck out 1,061. They walk 3.9 men per 9 innings while striking out 7.8 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.44 and their FIP as a unit is 5.29.

As a team, Cincinnati is batting .251, good for 20th in the league while putting together a .245 average away from home. The Reds hold a .404 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .313 which is good for 24th in baseball. They rank 24th in baseball with 8.48 hits per game. Zack Cozart comes into this game hitting .255 and his on-base percentage is at .312. He has 115 hits this season along with 67 runs scored and 48 runs batted in. He's struck out 80 times and has walked 37 times. Joey Votto is hitting .312 and he has an on-base percentage of .434. He has totaled 143 hits so far while scoring 85 runs and he's driven in 80. He has walked 100 times and has struck out 112 times. The Reds have 1,172 hits, including 235 doubles and 144 home runs. They've stolen 121 bases while they've been thrown out stealing 44 times. Cincinnati has walked 403 times this season and they've struck out 1,122 times as a unit. They've left 855 men on base and have a team OPS of .720. They score 4.4 runs per contest and have scored a total of 607 runs so far this year.

Pittsburgh comes into this matchup with a 36-35 home record and a 69-69 overall mark. With an earned run average of 4.97, Drew Hutchison has a 1-0 record and a 1.34 WHIP. He has 12 strikeouts over the 12.2 innings he's pitched during which he has given up 13 hits. He has allowed 9.2 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 6.55. So far this season the bullpen has an earned run average of 3.53 and they have given up 459 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .247 against the Pirates bullpen while being struck out 427 times and walking 196 times this season. As a team, Pittsburgh has allowed 9.09 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.45 batters per nine. They are 14th in the league in team earned run average at 4.13. The Pirates pitchers as a team have surrendered 1,249 base knocks and 569 earned runs so far this season. They have given up 155 home runs this year and they give up 1.1 home runs per nine innings as a staff. Pittsburgh as a staff has walked 460 hitters and struck out 1,025. They give up a walk 3.4 times per 9 innings while they strike out 7.5 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.39 while their FIP as a staff is 4.38.

As a team, they are batting .257, good for 13th in the league while putting together a .271 average at home. The Pirates hold a .402 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .330 which is good for 4th in baseball. They rank 14th in baseball with 8.82 hits per contest. Jordy Mercer comes into this matchup batting .262 and he has an OBP of .336. He has 120 hits this year along with 58 runs scored and 53 RBI. He's struck out 73 times and has walked on 47 occasions. Starling Marte is hitting .311 and he has an OBP of .362. He has collected 151 hits so far while he's scored 71 runs and drove in 46. He has earned a walk 23 times and has punched out 103 times. The Pirates as a unit have 1,206 base hits, including 236 doubles and 130 homers. They have 101 stolen bases while they've been thrown out 42 times. Pittsburgh as a team has walked 450 times this year and they have struck out 1,128 times. They've had 974 men left on base and have an OPS of .731. They score 4.48 runs per game and have totaled 614 runs so far this season.

Cincinnati Reds Betting Trends

The Cincinnati Reds are 74-55-10 against the over/under so far this season

The Cincinnati Reds are 72-67-0 against the run line so far this season

Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 76-59-3 against the over/under so far this season

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 65-73-0 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Cincinnati Reds

09/06/16 CF Billy Hamilton Oblique expected to miss series vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
06/01/16 P Caleb Cotham Shoulder 15-day DL (5/29)
05/02/16 C Devin Mesoraco Shoulder 60-day DL (5/1); out for season
04/10/16 CF Yorman Rodriguez Hamstring 60-day DL (3/27)

Pittsburgh Pirates

09/08/16 LF Starling Marte Back "?" Friday vs. Cincinnati Reds
09/07/16 C Elias Diaz Infection out for season
08/29/16 P Gerrit Cole Elbow 15-day DL (8/25), expected to be activated & start Monday vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Tony's Pick: Take the Reds

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