Thursday, July 7, 2016
Busch Stadium
For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here
Probable Pitchers: Chad Kuhl vs. Adam Wainwright
The Pittsburgh Pirates head to Busch Stadium on Thursday to take on the St. Louis Cardinals. The probable pitchers are Chad Kuhl for the Pirates and Adam Wainwright for the Cardinals. The opening line for this game has Pittsburgh at +158 and St. Louis at -168. The over/under is 8.5. The Pirates have a 50-33-1 over/under mark and a 41-43-0 run line record, meaning they cover 49% of the time. The Cardinals are 43-40-0 against the run line and have a 44-35-4 over/under record. They cover the spread 52% of the time.
The Pirates head into this game with a 43-41 record, and they are 21-22 on the road. Starting pitcher Chad Kuhl has a 1-0 record with an ERA of 4.09 and a WHIP of 1.36. He has 7 strikeouts during his 11 innings pitched and he has given up 11 hits so far this year. He has surrendered 9 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 4.17. The bullpen this season has an earned run average of 3.81 and they have allowed 276 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .249 against the pen while they've been struck out 236 times and walked 119 times this year. As a unit, Pittsburgh has given up 9.16 base hits per nine innings while striking out 7.13 hitters per nine. They are 16th in the Majors in team earned run average at 4.33. The Pirates pitchers have collectively given up 769 base hits and 363 earned runs. They have allowed 95 home runs this season and they allow 1.1 homers per nine innings as a staff. Pittsburgh as a pitching staff has walked 297 batters and struck out 598. They walk 3.5 men per 9 innings while striking out 7.1 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.41 and their FIP as a unit is 4.53.
As a team, Pittsburgh is hitting .265, good for 10th in the league while putting together a .257 average on the road. The Pirates have a .411 team slugging percentage and an OBP of .337 which is good for 3rd in the league. They rank 8th in baseball with 9.2 hits per contest. Starling Marte comes into this game hitting .320 and his on-base percentage is at .365. He has 95 hits this season along with 45 runs scored and 31 runs batted in. He's struck out 67 times and has walked 11 times. Gregory Polanco is hitting .292 and he has an on-base percentage of .368. He has totaled 85 hits so far while scoring 50 runs and he's driven in 50. He has walked 38 times and has struck out 69 times. The Pirates have 773 hits, including 153 doubles and 78 home runs. They've stolen 63 bases while they've been thrown out stealing 22 times. Pittsburgh has walked 274 times this season and they've struck out 698 times as a unit. They've left 624 men on base and have a team OPS of .748. They score 4.64 runs per contest and have scored a total of 390 runs so far this year.
St. Louis comes into this game with a 18-25 home mark and a 43-40 overall record. With an ERA of 4.70, Adam Wainwright has a 7-5 record and a 1.36 WHIP. He has 77 strikeouts over the 103.1 innings he's pitched during which he has given up 112 hits. He has allowed 9.8 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 3.62. So far this season the bullpen has an earned run average of 3.73 and they have given up 197 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .220 against the Cardinals bullpen while being struck out 237 times and walking 90 times this season. As a team, St. Louis has allowed 8.57 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.61 batters per nine. They are 10th in the league in team earned run average at 3.94. The Cardinals pitchers as a team have surrendered 705 base knocks and 324 earned runs so far this season. They have given up 73 home runs this year and they give up 0.9 home runs per nine innings as a staff. St. Louis as a staff has walked 234 hitters and struck out 626. They give up a walk 2.8 times per 9 innings while they strike out 7.6 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.27 while their FIP as a staff is 3.81.
As a team, they are batting .260, good for 13th in the league while putting together a .252 average at home. The Cardinals hold a .441 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .333 which is good for 6th in baseball. They rank 14th in baseball with 8.98 hits per contest. Matt Carpenter comes into this matchup batting .299 and he has an OBP of .421. He has 85 hits this year along with 56 runs scored and 53 RBI. He's struck out 60 times and has walked on 58 occasions. Yadier Molina is hitting .259 and he has an OBP of .326. He has collected 72 hits so far while he's scored 28 runs and drove in 27. He has earned a walk 26 times and has punched out 36 times. The Cardinals as a unit have 748 base hits, including 158 doubles and 108 homers. They have 19 stolen bases while they've been thrown out 16 times. St. Louis as a team has walked 290 times this year and they have struck out 645 times. They've had 596 men left on base and have an OPS of .777. They score 5.17 runs per game and have totaled 429 runs so far this season.
Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends
The Pittsburgh Pirates are 50-33-1 against the over/under so far this season
The Pittsburgh Pirates are 41-43-0 against the run line so far this season
St. Louis Cardinals Betting Trends
The St. Louis Cardinals are 44-35-4 against the over/under so far this season
The St. Louis Cardinals are 43-40-0 against the run line so far this season
Injuries to Watch
Pittsburgh Pirates
07/06/16 P Jon Niese Knee probable Saturday vs. Chicago Cubs
07/04/16 C Chris Stewart Knee 15-day DL (7/2)
07/04/16 P Jameson Taillon Shoulder 15-day DL (6/30)
06/14/16 P Gerrit Cole Tricep 15-day DL (6/9)
06/11/16 C Francisco Cervelli Hand 15-day DL (6/10)
05/24/16 P Ryan Vogelsong Eye 60-day DL (5/24)
03/31/16 C Elias Diaz Elbow 60-day DL (3/25)
St. Louis Cardinals
07/06/16 1B Brandon Moss Ankle 15-day DL (7/5)
07/05/16 3B Jhonny Peralta Thumb left last game, "?" Wednesday vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
07/02/16 P Kevin Siegrist Mononucleosis 15-day DL (6/30)
05/26/16 P Mitch Harris Elbow 60-day DL (3/25)
04/04/16 P Jordan Walden Abdominal 15-day DL (3/31)
04/04/16 P Lance Lynn Elbow 60-day DL; out for season
Josh's Pick: Take the Cardinals
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