Sunday, May 29, 2016

Globe Life Park

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Francisco Liriano vs. Martin Perez

The Pittsburgh Pirates visit Globe Life Park on Sunday to play the Texas Rangers. The probable starters are Francisco Liriano for the Pirates and Martin Perez for the Rangers. The opening line for this matchup has Pittsburgh at -128 and Texas at +118. The over/under was set at 9. The Pirates have a 31-15-1 over/under record and a 24-23-0 run line mark, meaning they cover 51% of the time. The Rangers are 26-22-0 against the run line and have a 25-22-1 over/under record. They cover the spread 54% of the time.

The Pirates head into this matchup with a 28-19 record, including 13-10 on the road. Starting pitcher Francisco Liriano has a 4-3 record with an earned run average of 4.30 and a WHIP of 1.47. He has 52 strikeouts over his 52.1 innings pitched and he has given up 47 hits so far this season. He has allowed 8.1 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 5.17. The bullpen this year has an earned run average of 4.07 and they have given up 158 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .256 against the bullpen while being struck out 126 times and walking 71 times this season. As a team, Pittsburgh has allowed 8.99 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.31 batters per nine. They are 17th in the league in team earned run average at 4.05. The Pirates pitchers have collectively given up 424 base hits and 191 earned runs. They have allowed 57 home runs this season and they allow 1.2 homers per nine innings as a staff. Pittsburgh as a pitching staff has walked 177 batters and struck out 345. They walk 3.8 men per 9 innings while striking out 7.3 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.42 and their FIP as a unit is 4.59.

As a team, Pittsburgh is batting .286, good for 2nd in the league while putting together a .276 average away from home. The Pirates hold a .439 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .361 which is good for 1st in baseball. They rank 2nd in baseball with 10.06 hits per game. Andrew McCutchen comes into this game hitting .258 and his on-base percentage is at .343. He has 48 hits this season along with 33 runs scored and 22 runs batted in. He's struck out 49 times and has walked 22 times. Starling Marte is hitting .324 and he has an on-base percentage of .366. He has totaled 58 hits so far while scoring 26 runs and he's driven in 19. He has walked 4 times and has struck out 41 times. The Pirates have 473 hits, including 91 doubles and 47 home runs. They've stolen 33 bases while they've been thrown out stealing 13 times. Pittsburgh has walked 172 times this season and they've struck out 364 times as a unit. They've left 383 men on base and have a team OPS of .801. They score 5.17 runs per contest and have scored a total of 243 runs so far this year.

Texas comes into this matchup with a 16-9 home record and a 27-21 overall mark. With an earned run average of 3.13, Martin Perez has a 2-4 record and a 1.33 WHIP. He has 37 strikeouts over the 60.1 innings he's pitched during which he has given up 50 hits. He has allowed 7.5 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 4.31. So far this season the bullpen has an earned run average of 5.35 and they have given up 165 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .281 against the Rangers bullpen while being struck out 120 times and walking 58 times this season. As a team, Texas has allowed 8.94 hits per nine innings while striking out 7 batters per nine. They are 18th in the league in team earned run average at 4.11. The Rangers pitchers as a team have surrendered 428 base knocks and 197 earned runs so far this season. They have given up 64 home runs this year and they give up 1.3 home runs per nine innings as a staff. Texas as a staff has walked 157 hitters and struck out 335. They give up a walk 3.3 times per 9 innings while they strike out 7 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.36 while their FIP as a staff is 4.69.

As a team, they are batting .260, good for 9th in the league while putting together a .277 average at home. The Rangers hold a .407 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .318 which is good for 17th in baseball. They rank 11th in baseball with 8.79 hits per contest. Adrian Beltre comes into this matchup batting .269 and he has an OBP of .317. He has 49 hits this year along with 22 runs scored and 32 RBI. He's struck out 18 times and has walked on 12 occasions. Elvis Andrus is hitting .288 and he has an OBP of .339. He has collected 45 hits so far while he's scored 19 runs and drove in 17. He has earned a walk 12 times and has punched out 19 times. The Rangers as a unit have 422 base hits, including 83 doubles and 47 homers. They have 32 stolen bases while they've been thrown out 9 times. Texas as a team has walked 124 times this year and they have struck out 343 times. They've had 297 men left on base and have an OPS of .725. They score 4.56 runs per game and have totaled 219 runs so far this season.

Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 31-15-1 against the over/under so far this season

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 24-23-0 against the run line so far this season

Texas Rangers Betting Trends

The Texas Rangers are 25-22-1 against the over/under so far this season

The Texas Rangers are 26-22-0 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Pittsburgh Pirates

05/28/16 P Tony Watson Personal is upgraded to expected to be available Saturday vs. Texas Rangers
05/26/16 P Arquimedes Caminero Quad 15-day DL (5/25)
05/24/16 P Ryan Vogelsong Eye 15-day DL (5/24)
03/31/16 C Elias Diaz Elbow 60-day DL (3/25)

Texas Rangers

05/28/16 P Tanner Scheppers Knee 60-day DL (3/25)
05/28/16 P Shawn Tolleson Personal expected to miss 3-7 days
05/27/16 2B Rougned Odor Suspension 7-game suspension, eligible to return Saturday, June 4 vs. Seattle Mariners
05/24/16 CF Drew Stubbs Toe 15-day DL (5/23)
05/24/16 RF Shin-Soo Choo Hamstring 15-day DL (5/21)
05/08/16 P AJ Griffin Shoulder 15-day DL (5/8)
04/21/16 P Keone Kela Elbow 60-day DL (4/20)
04/11/16 C Robinson Chirinos Forearm 60-day DL (4/9)
04/04/16 RF Josh Hamilton Knee 60-day DL (3/25)
04/03/16 P Yu Darvish Elbow 15-day DL (3/25) expected to be activated & start Saturday vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Tony's Pick: Take the Rangers

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