The San Francisco Giants (24-26) travel to face off against the Pittsburgh Pirates (23-27) on Thursday, May 23rd. This game will be played at PNC Park in Pittsburgh and televised on NBCS. The Giants are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Pirates are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Giants. First pitch is set for 12:35 ET.
Giants vs Pirates
San Francisco rallied for four runs in the 10th inning in the most recent game of this series. The Giants scored one run in the 1st inning but didn’t score another run until putting up two in the 5th. As for the Pirates, they scored five of their five runs in the 4th. Heading into the game, the Giants were the slight underdogs at +104.
Blake Snell got the start for the Giants, going just 3 1/3 innings while giving up four runs and striking out five. Ryan Walker got the win out of the bullpen. Jared Jones put together a good outing for the Pirates, giving up three earned runs in six innings of work.
At the plate, the Giants were led by Matt Chapman, LaMonte Wade Jr., and Patrick Bailey, as they were the only three Giants hitters to have more than one hit. Chapman and Jorge Soler each homered for San Francisco. On the other end, Bryan Reynolds hit a home run for the Pirates, going 2/5.
San Francisco is 24-26 overall and is 8.0 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West. The Giants are 12-11 in divisional games this year. The Giants have won two straight games, and their series with the Pirates is currently tied at 1-1.
At home, the Giants have gone 15-10 this year, but they are just 9-16 on the road. So far, they have been the favorite in 28 of their games, going 16-12 in those games. As the underdog, the Giants are 8-14 this year. San Francisco’s overall series record is 7-6-2.
When the Giants win, they do so by an average of 3.6 runs per game, but when they lose, they lose by an average of 4.3 runs per game. Their overall run line record is 24-26, and they are 13-12 against the run line on the road. They are 11-14 against the run line at home and have covered the run line in two straight games as the underdog.
San Francisco is on the road in Pittsburgh today, and the O/U line is set at 8.5 runs. The Giants’ combined run average this season is 9.0, and their O/U record is 25-23. When the O/U line has been set at 8.5 runs, their record is 8-6. So far this season, only 8.0% of their games have had higher O/U lines than today’s 8.5 runs. Their current over streak is at 2 games.
Mason Black Gets The Start For The Giants
Mason Black and the Giants will be on the road to take on the Pirates. Black has started 3 games this season, and in his most recent outing, he went 3 innings and gave up 4 runs on 6 hits. He has yet to pick up a win, as he has a no-decision and a loss in his first two starts.
Giants Offense Breakdown
Over the past eight games, Matt Chapman has been on fire for the Giants, going 12/28 with two homers and five RBIs. This has pushed his season average to .245. Chapman is also 2nd on the team with seven homers. Thairo Estrada has also been swinging the bat well of late, but his season-long average is just .243.
As a team, the Giants are averaging 4.2 runs per game and are 8th in the league in terms of batting average. Their team on-base percentage is also 7th in the MLB. So far, they have been a good home run hitting team, but their slugging percentage and isolated power numbers are just average. Overall, their offense is 15th in the league in terms of OPS.
Pittsburgh will take on the Giants with an overall record of 23-27, and they are 5.5 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. So far, they have gone just 7-7 in divisional games. The Pirates are looking to pick up a win today, as they have dropped two straight and five of their last seven.
At home, the Pirates are 10-13 this year compared to 13-14 on the road. As the favorite, Pittsburgh is 7-13 this year and 16-14 as the underdog. So far, they have dropped two straight series and have an overall series record of 5-7-3 this year.
When the Pirates win, they win big, with an average run margin of 2.5 runs in those games. However, when they lose, they lose by an average of 3.3 runs. Their overall run line record is 28-22, and they are 17-10 against the run line on the road. They have been the underdog in 30 games and have covered the run line in 22 of them.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are at home today against the San Francisco Giants with an over/under line of 8.5 runs. The combined run average for their games this season is 8.3 runs, and their over/under record is 24-25. When the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, their record is 11-7. The over has hit in two straight games for the Pirates.
Paul Skenes Gets The Start For The Pirates
Paul Skenes has been a strikeout machine in his first two starts of the season, as he has 18 K’s in 10 innings of work. He picked up a win in his last outing, going 6 innings and striking out 11 Cubs hitters. In his first start, he went 4 innings and gave up 3 runs, but he did strike out 7.
Pirates Offense Breakdown
Over his last 10 games, Bryan Reynolds has gone 13/45 with two homers and nine RBIs, and for the season, he is batting .251 with a team-high 26 RBIs. Reynolds is also 2nd on the team with six homers. Oneil Cruz and Connor Joe have also been good power sources for the Pirates, as they are 1st and 2nd on the team in homers, respectively.
Andrew McCutchen has struggled this season, batting just .218, but he has been better of late, going 11/35 over his last nine games. McCutchen has two homers and five RBIs during this stretch. Nick Gonzales is also swinging a hot bat, as he has gone 11/37 in his last 10 games, including two homers and seven RBIs.
Giants vs Pirates Prediction
Our pick for today’s Giants vs. Pirates matchup is to take the Giants on the money line at +135. We actually have the Giants winning this one by a score of 5-4, which would also make the over a good pick, as the line is sitting at 8.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Mason Black finishing with six strikeouts, which is good for fourth among today’s starters. As for Paul Skenes, his six projected strikeouts are also good for third. However, we have Skenes finishing with a better ERA than Black, and he is also predicted to go deeper into the game.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:May 23, 2024 Giants, Pirates