Wednesday, May 17, 2017
PNC Park
Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.
Probable Pitchers: Joe Ross vs. Gerrit Cole
The Washington Nationals visit PNC Park on Wednesday, May 17, 2017 to play the Pittsburgh Pirates. The probable starters are Joe Ross for the Nationals and Gerrit Cole for the Pirates.
The opening line for this matchup has Washington at -183 and Pittsburgh at +173. The Nationals have a 21-14-2 over/under record and a 18-19-0 run line mark. The Pirates are 19-19-0 against the run line and have a 16-21-1 over/under record.
Valuable Washington Nationals Betting Trends
The Washington Nationals are 21-14-2 against the over/under
The Washington Nationals are 18-19-0 against the run line
Important Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends
The Pittsburgh Pirates are 16-21-1 against the over/under
The Pittsburgh Pirates are 19-19-0 against the run line
Key Washington Nationals Injuries
05/14/17 P Max Scherzer Knee injured last game, "?" for next scheduled start.
04/29/17 CF Adam Eaton Knee 10-day DL (04/29)
04/20/17 P Sammy Solis Elbow 10-day DL (04/19)
04/12/17 2B Stephen Drew Hamstring 10-day DL (04/12)
Key Pittsburgh Pirates Injuries
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 Nationals have a 24-13 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Joe Ross has a 1-0 record with an earned run average of 7.47 and a WHIP of 1.53. He has 14 strikeouts over his 15.2 innings pitched and he's given up 20 hits. He allows 11.5 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 6.14. The bullpen has an earned run average of 5.33 and they have given up 123 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .277 against the bullpen and they've struck out 101 hitters and walked 36 batters. As a team, Washington allows 8.6 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.5 batters per nine innings. They are 19th in the league in team earned run average at 4.28. The Nationals pitchers collectively have given up 322 base hits and 160 earned runs. They have allowed 49 home runs this season, ranking them 9th in the league. Washington as a pitching staff has walked 116 batters and struck out 318. They have walked 3.1 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.5 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.30 and their FIP as a unit is 4.18.
For expert handicapping advice on this matchup and other MLB games check out our handicapping tips.
Hitting Statistics
As a team Washington is hitting .282, good for 1st in the league. The Nationals hold a .488 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .357, which is good for 1st in baseball. They rank 1st in MLB with 10.0 hits per game. Bryce Harper is hitting .384 with an on-base percentage of .500. He has 48 hits this season in 125 at bats with 34 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .752 and an OPS+ of 224. Daniel Murphy is hitting .317 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .385. He has totaled 46 hits and he has driven in 30 men in 145 at bats. His OPS+ is 138 while his slugging percentage is at .531. The Nationals have 370 hits, including 80 doubles and 60 home runs. Washington has walked 150 times so far this season and they have struck out 297 times as a unit. They have left 268 men on base and have a team OPS of .845. They score 6.05 runs per contest and have scored a total of 224 runs this year.
Useful Pitching Statistics
Pittsburgh has a 16-22 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 3.06, Gerrit Cole has a 1-4 record and a 1.06 WHIP. He has 47 strikeouts over the 50 innings he's pitched. He's also given up 43 hits. He allows 7.7 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 3.56. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.06 and they have given up 136 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .265 against the Pirates bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 113 batters and walked 52 opposing hitters. As a team, Pittsburgh allows 9.4 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.6 batters per nine innings. They are 15th in the league in team earned run average at 4.14. The Pirates pitchers as a team have surrendered 352 base knocks and 155 earned runs this season. They have given up 41 home runs this year, which ranks 22nd in Major League Baseball. Pittsburgh as a staff has walked 116 hitters and struck out 285 batters. They give up a walk 3.1 times per 9 innings while they strike out 7.6 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.39 while their FIP as a staff is 4.09.
Hitting Statistics
As a team, they are batting .224, good for 29th in the league. The Pirates hold a .366 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .304, which is good for 25th in baseball. They rank 29th in MLB with 7.4 hits per contest. Josh Bell comes into this matchup batting .243 with an OBP of .336. He has 28 hits this year along with 13 RBI in 115 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .478 with an OPS+ of 111. Josh Harrison is hitting .288 this season and he has an OBP of .354. He has collected 38 hits in 132 at bats while driving in 12 runs. He has an OPS+ of 111 and a slugging percentage of .455. The Pirates as a unit have 282 base hits, including 57 doubles and 34 homers. Pittsburgh has walked 131 times this year and they have struck out on 283 occasions. They have had 256 men left on base and have an OPS of .670. They have scored 3.63 runs per game and totaled 138 runs this season.
Who will win tonight's Nationals/Pirates MLB game against the spread?
Guy's Pick: Take the Nationals -183
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 Guy Bruhn
Get all of Today's Free MLB Picks
Get all of Today's Expert MLB Picks