The Pittsburgh Pirates (56-97), one of the weakest lineups in baseball, are set to host the Cincinnati Reds (60-93) at PNC Park on Monday to open a three-game series. The Reds are playing their first of six games on the road after wrapping up a rough six-game homestand (2-4). They won only one out of four in their last series against the Brewers, taking the finale 2-1 on Sunday at Great American Ball Park. Spencer Steer was 2 for 4 with a solo home run. The Pirates are in the midst of a seven-game homestand. They lost three of four against the Cubs in their last series, dropping the finale 8-3 on Sunday at PNC Park. Bryan Reynolds went 1 for 3 with a home run and two runs.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Pirates have won nine of 16 in the season series between the NL Central rivals, including a 10-4 victory in their most recent meeting on September 14 at Great American Ball Park. Reliever Tyler Beede was credited with the win after throwing two innings, and Miguel Yajure pitched three innings to pick up his first save of the season.
ON THE MOUND
Chase Anderson (2-3, 5.21 ERA) is in line for the start for Cincinnati. The right-hander allowed one run over five innings in his last start, a 5-1 road win over the Red Sox on Wednesday. He got the win, scattering three hits while striking out four. Anderson is making his first appearance against the Pirates this season. Anderson made one appearance against the Pirates in 2021, a 7-0 road loss for the Phillies on July 30. He surrendered two runs on three hits over four innings, striking out five and walking two.
AT THE PLATE
The Cincinnati offense is averaging 4.1 runs per game for the season, with a slash line of .238/.306/.377. Kyle Farmer leads the team in OPS at .706. The third baseman is slashing .257/.317/.389 with 13 home runs, 73 RBIs, and 57 runs over 136 games. Over the last five games, however, Cincinnati has averaged only 2.6 runs a game while performing worse across the board (.191/.263/.263). Pittsburgh is slashing .220/.287/.364 for the season and averaging 3.6 runs per game, fourth lowest in the league. Reynolds leads the team with ann .808 OPS. The center fielder has 26 home runs, 60 RBIs, and 70 runs scored with a slash line of .266/.346/.463. The Bucs have a .652 OPS against right-handers in 2022, third lowest in MLB. With ann .823 OPS over 361 at-bats, Reynolds also has been their best hitter against right-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Cincinnati is 29-46 away from Great American Ball Park in 2022, scoring 3.6 runs per game while allowing 4.8 runs. Pittsburgh has gone 29-46 at home this season, averaging 3.8 runs per game while surrendering 5.2. The teams have split their last 10 games at PNC Park, though Cincinnati has the scoring advantage with an average final margin of 5.0-3.7.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Reds are fourth in the NL Central, 29 games behind the division-leading Cardinals. The Pirates are fifth in the NL Central, 32 games behind the Cardinals.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Pittsburgh Pirates (-140)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
