Milwaukee Brewers vs Pittsburgh Pirates Prediction, 7/3/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Milwaukee Brewers vs Pittsburgh Pirates

Date: Saturday, July 3, 2021

Location: PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA

TV: AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh

Odds/Point Spread: Milwaukee (-161) Pittsburgh (+125)

Cody Ponce and the Pittsburgh Pirates (29-51, 5th in NL Central) play the Milwaukee Brewers (49-33, 1st in NL Central) at PNC Park on Saturday. The Brewers open this contest at -161 while the Pirates are priced at +125. The O/U opens at 8.5. The pitchers taking the mound will be Eric Lauer and Cody Ponce.

Milwaukee has a slugging percentage of .378 and have struck out 798 times, while being walked on 310 occasions. They have amassed 341 RBI's and 587 base knocks this season, while their team batting average is .219. The Brewers have accrued 117 two-baggers as a team and have hit 98 balls out of the park. They have earned a total of 357 runs and hold an OBP of .309. As a team, the Milwaukee Brewers are notching 4.4 runs per contest, which is 16th in the league.

Brewers pitchers have surrendered 90 home runs in addition to 322 total runs (7th in the league). Their pitching staff has walked 289 hitters and their FIP sits at 3.79 as a unit on the season. They have accumulated a K/BB ratio of 2.93 and their pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.18. The Brewers are sitting with a team ERA of 3.57 for the year (8th in the league), and the staff has struck out 846 batters.

Brewers pitchers have entered the game with players on base 50 times and also have had 100 appearances in high leverage situations. The relief pitchers have notched 42 holds for the season (10th in the league). The Brewers bullpen have earned a save rate of 63.2% and has come into the game in 80 save situations. They have earned 24 saves on the season and have blown 14 out of their 38 save opportunities. The relievers have inherited 62 runners this season and 38.7% of those players crossed the plate. The Brewers have dispatched 262 relief pitchers to the hill for the year.

The Brewers have turned 71.1% of baseballs in play into outs out of 6,606 innings on the diamond, which has them ranked 6th in professional baseball. The Milwaukee Brewers have earned 2,202 putouts thus far, as well as 666 assists and 47 errors. Their fielding percentage sits at .984 which ranks 13th in professional baseball, and have accumulated 493 double plays.

Lauer has taken the hill for 316 innings and has earned 297 strikeouts in his MLB career. His earned run average is 4.72 (166 earned runs allowed) and his career WHIP is 1.472. He has surrendered 344 base hits (9.8 hits per 9 innings) and has had 122 walks. Lauer (16-22 win-loss mark in his career) sits with a FIP of 4.52 and he has gone up against 1,405 opposing batters in the majors.

The Pirates have a slugging percentage of .352 and they tally 3.49 runs per contest (30th in the league). They have recorded 120 doubles, while taking a walk 243 times as well as notching 279 runs. Pittsburgh has tallied 60 home runs so far this season to go along with 263 runs batted in. They have struck out on 658 instances (26th in baseball) and have totaled 603 base knocks. The Pittsburgh Pirates have a team on-base percentage of .299 as well as a team batting average of .228 on the season.

The Pirates have a team WHIP of 1.339 in addition to having a FIP of 4.46 as a pitching staff this season. They currently have a K/BB ratio of 2.29 (646 strikeouts against 282 walks). They come in at 18th in the league as a pitching staff in total hits allowed with 641. They have conceded 95 home runs and they give up 5.00 runs per 9 innings (22nd in baseball). The Pittsburgh pitching staff have surrendered 383 runs this year while having an ERA of 4.73 (362 earned runs allowed).

Pittsburgh relievers hold an inherited score rate of 28.7% of 108 inherited runners. Their bullpen pitchers have stepped onto the mound 59 times in high leverage situations in addition to 66 occasions with runners on base. With 48 save situations, the Pirates have compiled 31 holds and also 4 blown saves. They are ranked 4th in baseball with a save rate of 73.3%, and they have dispatched 275 relievers onto the diamond over the course of the season. Pittsburgh has called on relief pitchers to take the mound in 15 save opportunities and they have converted 11 saves.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have turned 61 double plays and own a fielding percentage of .985 (8th in pro baseball). The Pirates have accrued 713 assists, 42 errors and have accumulated 2,068 putouts over the course of the season. Out of their 6,204 innings on the field, the Pirates are sitting with a efficiency on defense of 70.0% (13th in MLB).

Ponce (1-2 career mark) holds a 4.68 ERA and has surrendered 9.7 hits per 9 innings. He has a K/BB ratio of 2.57 and he has faced 104 hitters so far in his pro baseball career. He has surrendered 13 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.360 and a FIP of 6.2. In his pro baseball career, Ponce has allowed 27 hits and he has 18 strikeouts in 25 innings pitched.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Milwaukee (-161)

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