The Pittsburgh Pirates aim to inch closer to the St. Louis Cardinals as the top two teams in the National League meet in a Central Division battle.
The Cards are the most profitable team on the moneyline and have cashed the under a MLB-high 51 times.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The two best teams in the National League reside in the Central Division and the reason why the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates are battling for supremacy in the senior circuit is simple – pitching. The Cardinals enter the weekend with MLB’s lowest team ERA at 2.63 and the Pirates are close behind at 2.84. Not surprisingly both clubs have played a majority of games below the scoreline with the under 51-32-3 through St. Louis’ first 86 games and 24-18-3 in Pittsburgh’s first 46 home games. The team’s cashed the under in Thursday’s series opener, a 4-1 Cardinals victory, and the under is 5-2 over the first seven games of the season series. The under is also 3-1 in the Pittsburgh’s past four games started by Francisco Liriano.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Tim Cooney (0-0, 3.95 ERA) had the finest of his three starts this season allowing one run on three hits over 5.1 innings in the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader at Chicago. He was mostly spotless walking one with three strikeouts and left in line for his first big league win. But the bullpen failed to hold it and he was dealt a no-decision in a game the Cubs won.
Cooney will likely be sent back to Triple-A following the All-Star break with Jaime Garcia set to be activated from the disabled list.
Francisco Liriano (5-6, 2.99 ERA) scattered four hits and struck out six giving up two runs in six innings in a no-decision against San Diego on Tuesday. He’s been outstanding over his last three starts giving up 15 hits with 14 strikeouts and a 1.80 ERA over 20 innings but has just one victory to show for it.
Liriano had mixed results in back-to-back starts against the Cards earlier, holding them to one run on three hits in eight innings on May 2 then getting hit with five earned runs on six hits in 6.1 frames in a home loss on May 8. He’s been impressive over his career against St. Louis with a 2.38 ERA and 0.98 WHIP over 64.1 innings in 10 starts.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“They’re a tremendous organization and you can’t give them enough respect. At the same time, we expect to match up against them and beat them. We’re not afraid.” – Pirates pitcher Gerrit Cole on the St. Louis Cardinals
LIVE BETTING or SITUATIONAL BETTING
The best team in baseball is about to get better with a key ingredient nearing a return following a lengthy stay on the disabled list. Matt Holliday could be activated from the DL this weekend, but Cardinals manager Mike Matheny is hesitant to use him in the field. In an important series against their nearest pursuer in the NL Central, the Cards could use Holliday’s offense against a stingy Pirates pitching staff. He’s hitting .303 with three home runs and 26 RBIs in 178 at-bats this season and is a career .293 hitter against the Pirates. The 35-year-old Holliday injured his quad while chasing down a fly ball on June 8 and was placed on the DL the next day. Having not hacked at live pitching in over a month, he may need to chisel off some rust before he becomes effective at the dish.
PROP TALK
With Josh Harrison sidelined with a thumb injury and Starling Marte nursing a sore oblique, Andrew McCutchen becomes an even larger piece of the Pirates offense. The former NL MVP extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a ninth-inning home run – his 11th – in Thursday’s series opening 4-1 loss. Following a long, uphill battle, McCutchen finally got his average above .300 with a two-hit night against San Diego on Tuesday. It’s the highest his average has been since the first game of the season. Cutch hits lefties to the tune of .321 this season, below his career average of .328, and has a .333 average at PNC Park. He could be in for a big afternoon against southpaw Tim Cooney.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
No disrespect to Tim Cooney, but the guy is the weak link in the starting rotation and the Pirates need to beat him to gain ground. Plus, the Bucs have one of their aces in Francisco Liriano opposing him, so a loss would be devastating. Getting Starling Marte back in the lineup would help the Pirates’ chances of getting a win and he is recovering, which is good news. Pittsburgh will scrape together enough runs against Cooney and avoid having to face the NL’s best bullpen in leverage situations. Andrew McCutchen leads the way offensively and Liriano closes the door on the bump to get the Buccos a win.
Pittsburgh 3, St. Louis 2
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Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! First pitch for the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates is scheduled for Sunday, July 12, 2015, at 8:05 p.m. ET at PNC Park. The matchup can be seen live on ESPN.
