The Atlanta Braves (29-20) travel to face off against the Pittsburgh Pirates (25-28) on Sunday, May 26th. This game will be played at PNC Park in Pittsburgh and televised on BSSE. The Pirates are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Braves are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Pirates. First pitch is set for 1:35 ET.
Braves vs Pirates
Pittsburgh picked up a 4-1 win over the Braves in the most recent game of this series. The Pirates offense only had two more hits than the Braves and struck out nine times, but still picked up a convincing win. Heading into the game, they were at +134 on the money line.
Mitch Keller started for the Pirates and picked up a win, going 6 2/3 innings and giving up just one run. He finished the game with four strikeouts and didn’t issue a walk. On the other side, Reynaldo Lopez got the start for the Braves and took the loss, giving up two earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of work.
Bryan Reynolds was the only player in the game to have more than one hit, as he went 2/4 with an RBI. Both of his hits were singles. Pittsburgh’s other two RBIs came from Gregory Polanco and Jacob Stallings.
With a record of 29-20, the Braves are seven games behind the Phillies for the NL East lead. The Braves have dropped two straight games, and this has come during a stretch where they are just 3-7 over their last 10 games. So far, they have been good against other teams in the NL East, going 10-5.
At home, the Braves have gone 16-8 this season compared to 13-12 on the road. As the favorite, the Braves are 28-17, and they are 1-3 as the underdog. Atlanta has an overall series record of 11-4-1 and has won two straight series on the road.
When the Braves are on the road, they have been a good bet against the run line, going 14-11. Their average run margin in those games is +1.1, and their overall run line record is 25-24. They have covered the run line in three of four games as the underdog.
The Braves are on the road against the Pirates today, and the over/under line is set at 8 runs. Atlanta’s games have averaged 8.3 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 16-31. When the line is set at 8 runs, their record is 2-2. Overall, 73.5% of their games have had higher over/under lines than 8 runs, with an average line of 9 runs per game.
Chris Sale Gets The Start For The Braves
Chris Sale has been dominant this season, coming into the game with a record of 7-1 and an ERA of 2.22. He has made a total of nine starts and five of them have been quality starts. Sale’s ERA at home is an impressive 1.42, and he has not lost a game at home this season, going 6-0. On the road, he is 1-1 with a 3.87 ERA. In his most recent outing, Sale went seven innings, picking up the win and not giving up a run. He has not allowed more than one earned run in any of his last four outings.
Braves Offense Breakdown
Marcell Ozuna has been one of the league’s top run producers so far this season, as his 47 RBIs are 2nd in the MLB. He has also been a major power threat for the Braves, as his 15 homers are the best mark on the team and 2nd in the league. Ozuna has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 8/29 in his last eight games, with three homers in that stretch. Matt Olson is 2nd on the Braves in RBIs but is batting just .220 for the season and has gone 6/32 in his last eight games.
As a team, the Braves are 9th in scoring at 4.6 runs per game and are hitting a combined .250. They have been good at home and on the road this season, averaging 4.5 and 4.7 runs per contest, respectively. Overall, they are one of the league’s top home run-hitting teams and have the 7th best on-base percentage in the MLB.
Pittsburgh will host the Braves today with an overall record of 25-28, which puts them 4th in the NL Central. Right now, they trail the Cardinals by a half-game for the 3rd spot in the division and are six games behind the Brewers for the division lead. The Pirates have gone 7-7 in divisional games this year.
The Pirates have won two straight games, and this season, they are 7-4 as the home underdog. They have an overall record of 12-14 at home compared to 13-14 on the road. So far, the Pirates have struggled as the favorite, going just 7-14, but they are 18-14 when the underdog this year. Pittsburgh’s overall series record is 5-8-3, and they have dropped three straight series at home.
At home, the Pirates are 13-13 against the run line, but they have been a much better bet on the road, going 17-10. They have covered the run line in six straight games as the underdog and are 24-8 overall in that scenario. They have been outscored by an average of 0.7 runs per game at home this season, compared to 0.1 runs per game on the road.
When the Pirates play at home, the over/under line is set at 8 runs, which is right in line with their season average of 8.5 runs per game. Their over/under record is 26-26, and when the line is set at 8 runs, they are 7-7. Overall, 43.4% of their games have had over/under lines set at 8 runs or higher.
Martín Pérez Gets The Start For The Pirates
Martín Pérez gets the start for the Pirates today and will be looking to bounce back from his last outing, where he gave up two earned runs in 4 1/3 innings of work. In that outing vs. the Giants, he gave up one homer. Looking back further, Pérez has given up at least one homer in three of his last four outings. Overall, he has allowed nine homers this season. Pérez’s ERA for the season is 4.80, along with a record of 1-3. Opposing batters are hitting .293 off the left-hander this season. So far, he has made three quality starts.
Pirates Offense Breakdown
Andrew McCutchen has been swinging a hot bat of late for the Pirates, going 7/21 in his last five games with four runs scored and one home run. McCutchen is also on a three-game hitting streak. McCutchen is tied with Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz for the team lead in homers, as all three players have gone deep seven times this season. Reynolds has been productive of late, going 8/24 in his last five games with two homers and eight RBIs.
As a team, the Pirates are 22nd in scoring at 4 runs per game. They are also near the bottom of the league in strikeouts and are batting just .230 for the season. Pittsburgh’s team on-base percentage and slugging percentage are also below the league average.
Braves vs Pirates Prediction
Getting the Pirates at +188 on the money line is a great value pick for today’s Braves vs. Pirates matchup. Our predicted final score is 5-4 in favor of the Pirates, giving them a solid payout on the money line.
If you’re looking for a potential parlay, you could also look to the over/under, with the line sitting at 8 runs. Our models have this game going under, but we see the payout on a Pirates win as a better option.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:May 26, 2024 Braves, Pirates