Pittsburgh Pirates vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction, 5/4/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Pittsburgh Pirates vs Tampa Bay Rays

Date: Thursday, May 4, 2023

Location: Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL

TV: Bally Sports Sun

Odds/Point Spread: Pittsburgh (+145) Tampa Bay (-170)

Tropicana Field is where the Tampa Bay Rays (24-6) will go up against the Pittsburgh Pirates (20-10) on Thursday. The moneyline on this contest has Pittsburgh at +145 while Tampa Bay is coming in at -170. The over/under is set at 7.5. The starting pitchers are Vince Velasquez and Zach Eflin.

Pittsburgh has a slugging percentage of .444 and have struck out 237 times, while taking a walk on 119 occasions. They have recorded 149 runs batted in in addition to 261 base knocks over the course of the season, and their average at the plate comes in at .261. The Pirates have accrued 65 doubles as a squad and have knocked 34 balls out of the stadium. They have earned 157 runs and have an on-base percentage of .342. As a team, the Pittsburgh Pirates are earning 5.2 runs per game, which ranks them 7th in MLB.

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The Pirates have a team earned run average of 3.58 on the season (9th in MLB), and they have struck out 256 hitters. Pirates pitchers have surrendered 24 home runs and also 112 runs (8th in the league). They have walked 105 opposing batters and their FIP is 3.87 as a team on the year. Pittsburgh has allowed 244 hits (8.2 per 9 innings) in addition to 106 earned runs. Their K/BB ratio is 2.44 and the pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.31.

The Pirates have sent 89 relief pitchers to the mound for the season. The relievers have inherited 28 runners this year with 21.4% of those players ended up scoring. They have 13 saves on the year and have blown 3 out of their 16 save opportunities. The Pirates bullpen have recorded a save rate of 81.3% and has come into the game in 42 save situations. The relievers have racked up 25 holds on the year (4th in the league). Pirates pitchers have gone to the mound with runners on base 18 times in addition to having 29 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Pirates have turned 69.1% of balls in play into outs out of 2,400 innings on the diamond, which has them sitting 17th in the majors. The Pittsburgh Pirates have a tally of 800 putouts for the season, as well as 239 assists and 18 errors. Their fielding percentage is at .983 which has them sitting 24th in baseball, and they have turned 23 double plays.

Velasquez (38-49 career record) sits with a FIP of 4.50 while he has faced 3,270 opposing hitters in the majors. He has allowed 732 base hits (8.7 hits per nine innings) and has 305 walks. His earned run average is 4.85 (409 ER's allowed) and his career WHIP is 1.367. Velasquez has pitched in 758 innings and has tallied 817 punch outs during his MLB career.

The Rays have a slugging percentage of .524 and they score 6.63 runs per contest (1st in baseball). They have 57 doubles, while walking 101 times as well as recording 199 runs. Tampa Bay has accumulated 62 long balls on the campaign to go along with 191 RBIs. They have been called out on strikes on 253 occasions (19th in MLB) and have earned a total of 288 base hits. The Tampa Bay Rays have accumulated a team on-base percentage of .352 and a team batting average of .280 for the season.

The Rays have a team WHIP of 1.112 and are the owners of a FIP of 3.59 as a team so far this year. They are currently ranked 1st in MLB as a pitching staff in total hits given up with 203. The Tampa Bay pitching staff have surrendered 93 runs for the season and come in with a team ERA of 3.03 (90 earned runs surrendered). Their strikeout to walk ratio comes in at 8.70 (260 strikeouts vs 94 walks). They have conceded 19 HR's and they give up 3.13 runs per 9 innings (1st in the league).

Tampa Bay relief pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 32.4% out of their 34 inherited base runners. Their relief pitchers have stepped onto the mound 20 times in high leverage situations in addition to 19 occasions with base runners. Sitting with 22 save situations, the Rays have 13 holds and also 3 blown saves. They rank 12th in MLB holding a save percentage of 66.7%, and they have dispatched 96 bullpen pitchers to the hill this season. Tampa Bay has had bullpen pitchers step onto the mound in 9 save chances and they have earned 6 saves.

Out of their 2,409 innings on the field, the Rays have accumulated a efficiency on defense of 72.9% (1st in professional baseball). The Tampa Bay Rays have turned 24 double plays and have a fielding percentage of .990 (5th in baseball). The Rays have 284 assists, 11 errors and have amassed 803 putouts for the season.

In his MLB career, Eflin has allowed 715 base knocks while tallying 573 strikeouts in 680 frames. He has given up 336 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.291 and having a FIP of 4.4. His K/BB ratio is 3.52 and he has faced 2,891 hitters during his career. Eflin (39-45 mark in his career) has a 4.44 earned run average while giving up 9.5 hits per nine innings.

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Pittsburgh (+145)

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