Boston Red Sox vs Pittsburgh Pirates Prediction, 8/18/2022 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Boston Red Sox vs Pittsburgh Pirates

Date: Thursday, August 18, 2022

Location: PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA

TV: AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh

The Boston Red Sox (58-59) are en route to PNC Park on Thursday where they will try to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates (45-71). The expected starting pitchers are Nathan Eovaldi and JT Brubaker.

As a squad, the Boston Red Sox are putting up 4.5 runs per contest, which has them sitting at 13th in baseball. They have tallied 521 runs scored while holding a team on-base percentage of .313. The Red Sox have recorded 264 doubles as a team and have hit 112 balls out of the park. They have 497 runs batted in and 1,012 base knocks over the course of the season, while their batting average is sitting at .252. Boston owns a slugging percentage of .406 and have been called out on strikes 979 times, while taking a walk on 327 occasions.

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The Red Sox have compiled a team ERA of 4.34 this year (25th in baseball), and their staff has struck out 980 hitters. Their pitching staff has walked 375 players from the other team and their FIP is 4.04 as a team for the year. They have earned a K/BB ratio of 2.61 and the pitching staff has earned a collective WHIP of 1.31. Red Sox pitchers have given up 126 home runs in addition to 551 total runs (24th in baseball).

The Red Sox have sent 424 relievers to the hill this season. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 185 runners so far this season and 36.8% of those players crossed home plate. They have compiled 26 saves so far this year and have blown 23 of their 49 chances to get a save. The Red Sox relievers have earned a save rate of 53.1% and has come into the game in 114 save situations. The relief pitchers have a total of 65 holds on the campaign (11th in baseball). Red Sox bullpen pitchers have gone to the mound with runners on base 125 times and also have had 134 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Red Sox have turned 69.0% of baseballs in play into outs out of 9,405 innings on the field, ranking them 21st in baseball. The Boston Red Sox have earned 3,135 putouts on the year, as well as 1,052 assists and 63 errors. Their fielding percentage is at .985 which has them sitting 15th in professional baseball, and have a total of 103 double plays.

Eovaldi (66-68 career record) is the owner of a FIP of 3.84 while going up against 5,318 hitters in the majors. He has allowed 1,300 hits (9.4 hits per 9 innings) and has had 354 walks. His ERA is 4.18 (580 earned runs allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.325. Eovaldi has taken the mound for 1,248 frames and has 1,053 K's during his MLB career.

The Pirates hold a team slugging percentage of .362 and they average 3.60 runs per outing (28th in the league). They have tallied 157 doubles, while taking a walk 342 times and putting up 418 runs. Pittsburgh has accumulated 114 home runs for the season as well as 390 RBIs. They have struck out on 1,082 occasions (3rd in the league) and have recorded 839 hits. The Pittsburgh Pirates have a team OBP of .289 and a batting average of .220 this year.

The Pittsburgh pitching staff have surrendered 581 runs over the course of the season while holding an ERA of 4.62 (522 earned runs relinquished). They have surrendered 121 dingers and they relinquish 5.14 runs per 9 innings (26th in the league). The Pirates hold a team WHIP of 1.425 and have a FIP of 4.30 as a staff on the year. Their K/BB ratio is 2.17 (880 strikeouts against 406 walks). They are currently ranked 27th in baseball as a staff in total hits relinquished with 1,043.

With 106 save situations, the Pirates have 56 holds in addition to 21 blown saves. Pittsburgh has called on relief pitchers to enter the contest in 47 save chances and they have converted 26 saves. Their relief pitchers have stepped onto the hill 127 times in high leverage situations in addition to 116 occasions with base runners. Pittsburgh bullpen pitchers have an inherited score percentage of 35.3% out of their 170 inherited runners. They rank 28th in baseball with a save rate of 55.3%, and they have dispatched 365 relievers to the mound on the year.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have gotten 113 double plays and have accounted for a fielding rate of .981 (30th in the majors). The Pirates have recorded 1,099 assists, 79 errors and have 3,051 putouts for the season. In their 9,153 innings on the diamond, the Pirates hold a efficiency on defense of 67.6% (29th in the majors).

During his career, Brubaker has surrendered 295 base hits while totaling 294 punch outs in 285 innings pitched. Brubaker (8-26 record in his career) is the owner of a 4.93 earned run average while conceding 9.3 hits per nine innings. He has allowed a total of 156 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.389 and a FIP of 4.4. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.91 and he has gone up against 1,255 opposing hitters so far in his MLB career.

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Boston

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