Saturday, May 20, 2017
PNC Park
Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.
Probable Pitchers: Vince Velasquez vs. Ivan Nova
The Philadelphia Phillies head to PNC Park on Saturday, May 20, 2017 to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. The expected starting pitchers are Vince Velasquez for the Phillies and Ivan Nova for the Pirates.
The odds for this matchup have Philadelphia at +120 and Pittsburgh at -130. The Phillies have a 23-15-0 over/under mark and a 20-18-0 run line record. The Pirates are 21-20-0 against the run line and have a 18-22-1 over/under record.
Valuable Philadelphia Phillies Betting Trends
The Philadelphia Phillies are 23-15-0 against the over/under
The Philadelphia Phillies are 20-18-0 against the run line
Important Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends
The Pittsburgh Pirates are 18-22-1 against the over/under
The Pittsburgh Pirates are 21-20-0 against the run line
Key Philadelphia Phillies Injuries
05/09/17 P Jeanmar Gomez Elbow 10-day DL (5/6)
04/24/17 P Aaron Nola Back 10-day DL (4/21)
04/23/17 P Clay Buchholz Forearm 60-day DL (4/22)
04/19/17 LF Howie Kendrick Abdominal 10-day DL (4/16)
Key Pittsburgh Pirates Injuries
05/17/17 RF Gregory Polanco Hamstring 10-day DL (5/15)
05/06/17 P Jameson Taillon Groin 10-day DL (5/4)
04/26/17 P Antonio Bastardo Quad 10-day DL (4/25)
04/18/17 CF Starling Marte Suspension 80-game suspension
Useful Pitching Statistics
The Phillies have a 14-24 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Vince Velasquez has a 2-3 record with an earned run average of 5.63 and a WHIP of 1.38. He has 39 strikeouts over his 38.1 innings pitched and he's given up 35 hits. He allows 8.2 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 5.28. The bullpen has an earned run average of 5.04 and they have given up 131 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .258 against the bullpen and they've struck out 109 hitters and walked 61 batters. As a team, Philadelphia allows 9.5 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.2 batters per nine innings. They are 29th in the league in team earned run average at 4.92. The Phillies pitchers collectively have given up 354 base hits and 184 earned runs. They have allowed 61 home runs this season, ranking them 2nd in the league. Philadelphia as a pitching staff has walked 129 batters and struck out 268. They have walked 3.4 men per 9 innings while striking out 7.2 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.44 and their FIP as a unit is 5.09.
For expert handicapping advice on this matchup and other MLB games check out our handicapping tips.
Hitting Statistics
As a team Philadelphia is hitting .256, good for 13th in the league. The Phillies hold a .428 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .324, which is good for 16th in baseball. They rank 13th in MLB with 8.8 hits per game. Odubel Herrera is hitting .242 with an on-base percentage of .298. He has 36 hits this season in 149 at bats with 13 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .369 and an OPS+ of 78. Cesar Hernandez is hitting .299 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .368. He has totaled 47 hits and he has driven in 10 men in 157 at bats. His OPS+ is 114 while his slugging percentage is at .433. The Phillies have 334 hits, including 72 doubles and 44 home runs. Philadelphia has walked 126 times so far this season and they have struck out 327 times as a unit. They have left 252 men on base and have a team OPS of .752. They score 4.55 runs per contest and have scored a total of 173 runs this year.
Useful Pitching Statistics
Pittsburgh has a 18-23 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 2.48, Ivan Nova has a 3-3 record and a 1.03 WHIP. He has 33 strikeouts over the 54.1 innings he's pitched. He's also given up 52 hits. He allows 8.6 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 3.35. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.87 and they have given up 143 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .260 against the Pirates bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 123 batters and walked 55 opposing hitters. As a team, Pittsburgh allows 9.3 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.6 batters per nine innings. They are 12th in the league in team earned run average at 4.11. The Pirates pitchers as a team have surrendered 375 base knocks and 166 earned runs this season. They have given up 44 home runs this year, which ranks 21st in Major League Baseball. Pittsburgh as a staff has walked 125 hitters and struck out 307 batters. They give up a walk 3.1 times per 9 innings while they strike out 7.6 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.38 while their FIP as a staff is 4.09.
Hitting Statistics
As a team, they are batting .228, good for 28th in the league. The Pirates hold a .373 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .309, which is good for 24th in baseball. They rank 28th in MLB with 7.6 hits per contest. Josh Bell comes into this matchup batting .248 with an OBP of .338. He has 31 hits this year along with 18 RBI in 125 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .520 with an OPS+ of 122. Josh Harrison is hitting .286 this season and he has an OBP of .350. He has collected 40 hits in 140 at bats while driving in 14 runs. He has an OPS+ of 115 and a slugging percentage of .471. The Pirates as a unit have 310 base hits, including 63 doubles and 38 homers. Pittsburgh has walked 145 times this year and they have struck out on 296 occasions. They have had 277 men left on base and have an OPS of .682. They have scored 3.85 runs per game and totaled 158 runs this season.
Who will win tonight's Phillies/Pirates MLB game against the spread?
Tony's Pick: Take the Phillies +120
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
Get all of Today's Free MLB Picks
Get all of Today's Expert MLB Picks