Boston Red Sox vs Pittsburgh Pirates Prediction, 8/17/2022 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Boston Red Sox vs Pittsburgh Pirates

Date: Wednesday, August 17, 2022

Location: PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA

TV: AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Pirates (45-70) will take on the Boston Red Sox (57-59) at PNC Park on Wednesday. The expected starting pitchers are Rich Hill and JT Brubaker.

Boston has a slugging percentage of .408 and have struck out 973 times, while drawing a walk on 323 occasions. They have compiled 493 RBI's as well as 1,007 hits so far this season, and their batting average is sitting at .253. The Red Sox have earned 264 two-baggers as a unit and have knocked 112 balls out of the stadium. They have earned 516 runs while having a team OBP of .313. As a unit, the Boston Red Sox are earning 4.5 runs per outing, which puts them at 14th in MLB.

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The Red Sox hold a team ERA of 4.35 for the year (25th in the league), and the staff has struck out 971 hitters. Their pitching staff has walked 371 players from the other team and their FIP comes in at 4.06 as a unit so far this season. Their K/BB ratio is 2.62 and the pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.31. Red Sox pitchers have given up 126 home runs and 548 total runs (25th in the league).

Red Sox relief pitchers have stepped onto the hill with runners on base 124 times and also have had 132 appearances in high leverage situations. The relievers have tallied 64 holds on the campaign (11th in MLB). The Red Sox bullpen have compiled a save rate of 52.1% and stepped onto the hill in 112 save situations. They have tallied 25 saves for the year and have missed out on 23 of their 48 save opportunities. The relievers have inherited 182 runners so far this season and 35.7% of those runners ended up scoring. The Red Sox have dispatched 421 relievers to the mound on the campaign.

The Boston Red Sox have amassed 3,108 putouts thus far, as well as 1,047 assists and 63 errors. Their fielding percentage sits at .985 which puts them in 16th in pro baseball, and have accumulated 103 double plays. The Red Sox have converted 68.9% of balls hit into play into outs out of their 9,324 innings on the field, which has them sitting at 21st in professional baseball.

Hill has pitched in 1,212 innings and has tallied 1,244 strikeouts during his pro baseball career. His earned run average is 3.86 (520 earned runs allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.229. He has allowed 1,021 base knocks (7.6 hits per 9 innings) with 469 walks. Hill (78-57 career win-loss mark) sits with a FIP of 4.01 while he has gone up against 5,085 batters in the major leagues.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have earned a team on-base percentage of .289 as well as a batting average of .221 over the course of the season. They have been called out on strikes on 1,073 instances (3rd in baseball) and are sitting with 835 base hits. Pittsburgh has accumulated 114 HRs for the year to go along with 387 RBIs. The Pirates hold a slugging percentage of .363 and they are recording 3.61 runs per game (28th in baseball). They have recorded 156 doubles, while walking 338 times as well as scoring 415 runs.

The Pirates are sitting with a team WHIP of 1.429 and have a FIP of 4.31 as a unit on the season. They currently have a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.17 (874 strikeouts against 402 free passes). They rank 27th in MLB as a staff in total hits conceded with 1,038. They have given up 121 home runs and they concede 5.14 runs per 9 innings (27th in baseball). The Pittsburgh pitching staff have allowed 576 runs on the year while having a team ERA of 4.63 (518 earned runs yielded).

With 106 save situations, the Pirates have accrued 56 holds in addition to 21 blown saves. Pittsburgh has had relievers take the mound in 47 save opportunities and they have earned 26 saves. Their relief pitchers have stepped onto the hill 127 times in high leverage situations in addition to 116 occasions with runners on. Pittsburgh relievers hold an inherited score percentage of 35.3% out of their 170 inherited base runners. They rank 27th in MLB with a save percentage of 55.3%, and they have sent 362 bullpen pitchers to the mound on the year.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have turned 111 double plays and have a fielding percentage of .981 (30th in pro baseball). The Pirates have accrued 1,090 assists, 78 errors and have earned 3,024 putouts during this campaign. In their 9,072 innings played, the Pirates hold a efficiency on defense of 67.5% (29th in the majors).

In his career, Brubaker has surrendered 295 base knocks while totaling 294 K's in 285 frames. Brubaker (8-26 win-loss record in his career) has earned a 4.93 earned run average and has given up 9.3 hits per nine innings. He has conceded 156 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.389 and being the owner of a FIP of 4.4. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.91 and he has faced 1,255 batters in his MLB career.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Pittsburgh

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