Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Miller Park

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Chad Kuhl vs. Jimmy Nelson

The Pittsburgh Pirates visit Miller Park on Wednesday to play the Milwaukee Brewers. The probable starters are Chad Kuhl for the Pirates and Jimmy Nelson for the Brewers. The opening line for this matchup has Pittsburgh at -110 and Milwaukee at +100. The over/under was set at 9. The Pirates have a 83-63-3 over/under record and a 70-79-0 run line mark, meaning they cover 47% of the time. The Brewers are 82-68-0 against the run line and have a 70-72-8 over/under record. They cover the spread 55% of the time.

The Pirates head into this matchup with a 74-75 record, including 38-37 on the road. Starting pitcher Chad Kuhl has a 4-3 record with an earned run average of 3.97 and a WHIP of 1.20. He has 39 strikeouts over his 56.2 innings pitched and he has given up 52 hits so far this season. He has allowed 8.3 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 4.14. The bullpen this year has an earned run average of 3.46 and they have given up 500 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .245 against the bullpen while being struck out 478 times and walking 210 times this season. As a team, Pittsburgh has allowed 9.2 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.5 batters per nine. They are 16th in the league in team earned run average at 4.18. The Pirates pitchers have collectively given up 1,369 base hits and 622 earned runs. They have allowed 166 home runs this season and they allow 1.1 homers per nine innings as a staff. Pittsburgh as a pitching staff has walked 487 batters and struck out 1,116. They walk 3.3 men per 9 innings while striking out 7.5 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.39 and their FIP as a unit is 4.31.

As a team, Pittsburgh is batting .258, good for 11th in the league while putting together a .246 average away from home. The Pirates hold a .405 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .334 which is good for 4th in baseball. They rank 11th in baseball with 8.85 hits per game. Starling Marte comes into this game hitting .311 and his on-base percentage is at .362. He has 151 hits this season along with 71 runs scored and 46 runs batted in. He's struck out 103 times and has walked 23 times. Andrew McCutchen is hitting .252 and he has an on-base percentage of .334. He has totaled 139 hits so far while scoring 78 runs and he's driven in 72. He has walked 64 times and has struck out 135 times. The Pirates have 1,319 hits, including 263 doubles and 143 home runs. They've stolen 103 bases while they've been thrown out stealing 43 times. Pittsburgh has walked 519 times this season and they've struck out 1,213 times as a unit. They've left 1,077 men on base and have a team OPS of .739. They score 4.58 runs per contest and have scored a total of 682 runs so far this year.

Milwaukee comes into this matchup with a 39-36 home record and a 68-82 overall mark. With an earned run average of 4.42, Jimmy Nelson has a 8-14 record and a 1.52 WHIP. He has 132 strikeouts over the 169 innings he's pitched during which he has given up 176 hits. He has allowed 9.4 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 4.99. So far this season the bullpen has an earned run average of 3.72 and they have given up 482 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .249 against the Brewers bullpen while being struck out 450 times and walking 200 times this season. As a team, Milwaukee has allowed 9.06 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.4 batters per nine. They are 13th in the league in team earned run average at 4.10. The Brewers pitchers as a team have surrendered 1,336 base knocks and 605 earned runs so far this season. They have given up 168 home runs this year and they give up 1.1 home runs per nine innings as a staff. Milwaukee as a staff has walked 501 hitters and struck out 1,092. They give up a walk 3.4 times per 9 innings while they strike out 7.4 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.38 while their FIP as a staff is 4.42.

As a team, they are batting .244, good for 27th in the league while putting together a .249 average at home. The Brewers hold a .408 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .324 which is good for 11th in baseball. They rank 28th in baseball with 8.03 hits per contest. Jonathan Villar comes into this matchup batting .286 and he has an OBP of .368. He has 156 hits this year along with 83 runs scored and 55 RBI. He's struck out 164 times and has walked on 71 occasions. Ryan Braun is hitting .308 and he has an OBP of .371. He has collected 147 hits so far while he's scored 77 runs and drove in 88. He has earned a walk 46 times and has punched out 92 times. The Brewers as a unit have 1,205 base hits, including 230 doubles and 180 homers. They have 166 stolen bases while they've been thrown out 50 times. Milwaukee as a team has walked 566 times this year and they have struck out 1,429 times. They've had 1,000 men left on base and have an OPS of .732. They score 4.19 runs per game and have totaled 628 runs so far this season.

Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 83-63-3 against the over/under so far this season

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 70-79-0 against the run line so far this season

Milwaukee Brewers Betting Trends

The Milwaukee Brewers are 70-72-8 against the over/under so far this season

The Milwaukee Brewers are 82-68-0 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Pittsburgh Pirates

09/18/16 LF Starling Marte Back "?" Tuesday vs. Milwaukee Brewers
09/14/16 C Chris Stewart Knee 60-day DL (9/13)
09/14/16 C Elias Diaz Knee 60-day DL (9/13), out for season
09/14/16 P Gerrit Cole Elbow 60-day DL (9/13), out for season
09/12/16 2B Josh Harrison Groin 15-day DL (9/10), out for season

Milwaukee Brewers

09/18/16 P Junior Guerra None out for season
09/16/16 CF Keon Broxton Wrist out for season
05/27/16 P Chris Capuano Elbow 60-day DL (4/2)
04/04/16 LF Rymer Liriano Facial 60-day DL (3/25)
04/04/16 P Zach Jones Shoulder 60-day DL (3/31)
04/02/16 P Yhonathan Barrios Shoulder 60-day DL (3/25)
04/01/16 P Sean Nolin Elbow 60-day DL (3/25)

Josh's Pick: Take the Pirates

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