The Pittsburgh Pirates (26-31) travel to face off against the Toronto Blue Jays (27-29) on Saturday, June 1st. This game will be played at Rogers Centre in Toronto and televised on SN PT. The Blue Jays are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Pirates are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Blue Jays. First pitch is set for 2:07 CT.
Pirates vs Blue Jays
Toronto picked up a 5-3 win over the Pirates in the most recent game of this series. The Blue Jays had a huge 2nd inning, scoring four of their five runs. As for the Pirates, they scored their first run in the 5th and added two more in the 11th. Heading into the game, the Blue Jays were favored at -183 on the money line.
Pittsburgh wasted a good outing from Bailey Falter, as he gave up just two hits and no earned runs in six innings of work for the Pirates. Kyle Nicolas took the loss. Génesis Cabrera got the win out of the bullpen for the Blue Jays as José Berríos went seven innings, giving up one earned run.
Davis Schneider hit the game’s only home run while going 1/6 with two RBIs. Andrew McCutchen and Nick Gonzales each had two hits and an RBI for the Pirates.
Pittsburgh is 26-31 overall, putting them 4th in the NL Central, eight games behind the Brewers. So far, they are 7-7 in divisional games. The Pirates dropped the first game of their series vs. the Blue Jays and are 6-8-4 in series this year.
At home, the Pirates are 12-15 this year, and they are just above .500 at 14-16 on the road. As the underdog, the Pirates have dropped three straight, and they are 18-17 as the underdog overall. So far, they have struggled as the favorite, going 8-14.
The Pirates are 31-26 against the run line this season, including an 18-12 mark on the road. They have been the underdog in 35 of their 57 games and have covered the run line in 24 of those contests. Their average run differential this season is -0.5 runs per game.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are on the road against the Toronto Blue Jays today. The over/under line for the game is set at 8 runs, which is right around their season average of 8.5 runs per game. The Pirates’ over/under record for the season is 29-27, and when the line is set at 8 runs, they are 8-7. So far this season, 42.1% of their games have had over/under lines set above 8 runs.
Mitch Keller Gets The Start For The Pirates
Mitch Keller gets the start for the Pirates today as he faces the Blue Jays on the road. He has made 11 starts this season and has a record of 6-3 with a 3.59 ERA. Keller has pitched well recently, as he has picked up the win in each of his last four outings. In his most recent start, he went 6 2/3 innings, giving up just one earned run on six hits. Keller has one complete game shutout this year. Opponents are batting .248 off the right-hander this season. Per nine innings, he is averaging 7.71 strikeouts and 2.53 walks.
Pirates Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Pirates offense is averaging 4 runs per game, which is 23rd in the league. They have been slightly better on the road (4.1 RPG) than at home (3.8 RPG). As a team, they are batting just .226, and their collective on-base percentage of .299 is also near the bottom of the league. One positive for the Pirates is that they are 7th in the league in walks.
Andrew McCutchen has struggled for the Pirates this season, batting just .237, but he has gone 8/26 in his last six games with one homer and five RBIs. McCutchen’s eight homers are the most on the team, and he is 11th in the league in home runs. Nick Gonzales has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 9/22 in his last six games with seven RBIs. He also comes into the game on a three-game hitting streak.
Toronto is 27-29 overall, and they are 11.5 games behind the Yankees for the AL East lead. The Blue Jays have won four straight games, and they are 6-4 over their last 10. In the AL East, they are 7-8 this season.
At home, the Blue Jays are 13-12 this season and 14-17 on the road. So far, they have been good as the favorite, going 21-15, and they are 6-14 as the underdog. Toronto has an overall series record of 6-9-3 this year.
When it comes to covering the run line, the Blue Jays have been a .500 team so far this season, going 28-28. They’ve been a bit better on the road than at home, where they are 17-14. They’ve been favored in 36 games and have covered the run line in 19 of those contests. Their average run differential in wins is +3.3, while it’s -3.9 in losses.
The Blue Jays have played in 55 games this season, and 24 of them have had over/under lines set at more than 8 runs. That’s a percentage of 42.9%. In games with an over/under line of 8 runs, the Blue Jays have gone over 7 times, under 8 times, and pushed once. Their over/under record for the season is 23-32, and their games have averaged 8.5 runs per game.
Yusei Kikuchi Gets The Start For The Blue Jays
Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi gets the start for the Blue Jays today as he faces the Pirates at home. Kikuchi has made 11 starts this year and has a record of 2-4 with a 3.25 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, Kikuchi has a WHIP of 1.20 and has turned in six quality starts. In his last outing, Kikuchi finished with a no-decision, giving up five earned runs in three innings of work. Before that, he had gone three straight outings without giving up a home run. Kikuchi has been much better at home, coming in with an ERA of 2.85 compared to 4.63 on the road.
Blue Jays Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Blue Jays offense has been one of the most consistent in the league, as they are 22nd in runs per game and have the 18th home run total in the league. As a team, they are batting .234, which is 14th in the league. Toronto is also near the top of the league in strikeouts, and their team on-base percentage of .315 is 8th in the league.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is leading the Blue Jays with a batting average of .287, and his 25 RBIs are 3rd on the team. Davis Schneider and Daulton Varsho are 2nd and 3rd on the team in RBIs and have 7 and 10 homers, respectively. Schneider has gone 8/33 in his last nine games, while Bo Bichette has gone 13/40 with two homers in this stretch.
Pirates vs Blue Jays Prediction
Our prediction for today’s Pirates vs. Blue Jays matchup is to take the Blue Jays on the money line at -159. We actually have the Blue Jays coming out on top by a score of 5-4, so there is some value in taking them on the money line.
Looking at the starting pitchers, our projections have Mitch Keller finishing with six strikeouts, and Yusei Kikuchi ending with five. If you’re looking for a player prop, you could take the over on Keller’s strikeout line, as we have him finishing with six.
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:June 1, 2024 Blue Jays, Pirates