Colorado Rockies vs Pittsburgh Pirates Prediction, 5/8/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Colorado Rockies vs Pittsburgh Pirates

Date: Monday, May 8, 2023

Location: PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA

TV: AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh

Odds/Point Spread: Colorado (+130) Pittsburgh (-150)

The Colorado Rockies (14-21) are hitting the road to PNC Park on Monday where they will meet the Pittsburgh Pirates (20-15). The moneyline on this matchup has Colorado at +130 while Pittsburgh is coming in at -150. The over/under has been set at 8. The men taking the mound will be Kyle Freeland and Mitch Keller.

As a squad, the Colorado Rockies are putting up 4.1 runs per game, which is 22nd in the league. They have tallied 139 runs scored and have an on-base percentage of .318. The Rockies have hit 69 two-baggers as a team and have knocked 27 baseballs out of the stadium. They have accrued 134 RBI's as well as 289 hits over the course of the season, while their team batting average is sitting at .254. Colorado is slugging .387 and have struck out 301 times, while drawing a walk on 100 occasions.

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The Rockies hold a team ERA of 4.93 on the campaign (26th in the league), and their staff has struck out 255 batters. Rockies pitchers have yielded 43 home runs and also 181 runs (27th in the league). Their pitching staff has walked 119 opposing batters and their FIP sits at 4.84 as a unit this year. Colorado has given up 300 base knocks (9.2 per 9 innings) and 161 earned runs. They have earned a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.14 and the pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.43.

The Rockies have dispatched 104 relief pitchers to the hill on the campaign. The relief pitchers have inherited 52 runners this year with 36.5% of them earned a run for their team. They have tallied 5 saves for the year and have blown 3 of 8 save opportunities. The Rockies relief pitchers have compiled a save rate of 62.5% and has stepped onto the mound in 15 save situations. The bullpen have racked up 6 holds over the course of the season (30th in MLB). Rockies pitchers have entered the game with runners on 30 times and also have had 17 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Rockies have converted 68.3% of balls hit into play into outs out of their 2,646 innings, which has them ranked 19th in baseball. The Colorado Rockies have earned 882 putouts thus far, in addition to 326 assists and 21 errors. Their fielding percentage sits at .983 which ranks 22nd in professional baseball, and they have turned 33 double plays.

Freeland has taken the hill for 867 frames and has earned 667 K's during his pro baseball career. His ERA is 4.25 (409 earned runs allowed) and his career WHIP is 1.393. He has surrendered 914 base knocks (9.5 hits per 9 innings) with 294 free passes. Freeland (52-54 record in his career) sits with a FIP of 4.49 while he has faced 3,741 opposing hitters during his time in the major leagues.

The Pirates hold a team slugging percentage of .424 and they earn 4.76 runs per contest (11th in baseball). They have put up 70 doubles, while walking 128 times as well as racking up 162 runs. Pittsburgh has hit 36 long balls for the season to go along with 154 RBIs. They have been called out on strikes on 280 occasions (20th in the league) and have a total of 281 base knocks. The Pittsburgh Pirates have earned an on-base percentage of .329 in addition to a team batting average of .250 over the course of the season.

The Pirates have a team WHIP of 1.342 and have a FIP of 4.00 as a team so far this year. They have a ranking of 16th in baseball as a staff in total hits given up with 281. The Pittsburgh pitching staff have yielded 135 runs on the campaign while holding a team ERA of 3.72 (124 earned runs allowed). Their strikeout to walk ratio comes in at 8.80 (293 strikeouts vs 122 free passes). They have allowed 30 home runs and they relinquish 4.05 runs per 9 innings (8th in the league).

Pittsburgh has called on relief pitchers to step onto the mound in 16 save opportunities and they have earned 13 saves. They rank 2nd in baseball holding a save percentage of 81.3%, and they have sent 100 relief pitchers to the hill so far this year. Their relief pitchers have come in 29 times in high leverage situations and on 19 occasions with base runners. Pittsburgh bullpen pitchers have an inherited score rate of 20.0% of 30 inherited runners. Sitting with 42 save situations, the Pirates have earned 25 holds and also 3 blown saves.

In 2,706 innings played, the Pirates are sitting with a efficiency on defense of 68.4% (17th in pro baseball). The Pittsburgh Pirates have turned 28 double plays and have a fielding rate of .982 (25th in the majors). The Pirates have recorded 269 assists, 22 errors and have accumulated 902 putouts so far this year.

In his pro baseball career, Keller has conceded 410 base hits while he has accumulated 359 punch outs in 370 innings. He has conceded a total of 198 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.530 and having a FIP of 4.0. He has a K/BB ratio of 2.30 and he has faced 1,643 hitters during his career. Keller (15-30 mark in his career) has earned a 4.82 ERA while conceding 10.0 hits per nine innings.

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Colorado (+130)

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