Tag: Brewers vs. Pirates

Brewers vs. Pirates Predictions

MLB Baseball betting action sees the Milwaukee Brewers taking on the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Cappers Picks provides free MLB baseball handicapping tips all season long.

MLB Baseball Odds

Milwaukee Brewers (2-7) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (3-6)
Stadium: PNC Park (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
Time/Date: 7:05 PM ET; Friday April 17th
MLB Odds: Milwaukee Brewers +115/ Pittsburgh Pirates -125
Over/Under: 7 runs (-120 Over)
Pitching Matchup: Jimmy Nelson (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Jeff Locke (1-0, 3.00)

Scoring runs seems to be a difficult task in the early going for both the Brewers and Pirates. After lighting up the scoreboard in 2014, the pair of NL Central teams look to get back to their hitting ways when they meet on Friday night. Both starters could make things tough on hitters once again as they both come in off solid 1st starts of the season.

Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers bats have been the main reason for their despair through their first 9 games. Getting shutout twice already, along with 4 games of 2 runs or less, the Brewers need to start finding some production somewhere. They’ll attempt to that following one of those shutouts in which they only had 6 hits in.

Milwaukee will send RH Jimmy Nelson to the mound to try and stop this two game losing skid. Nelson took these Pirates on in his one and only start of the season going 7 innings allowing no runs and just 2 hits. The right hander struck out 9.

Nelson struggled down the stretch of last season losing 7 straight starts and will be taking on the Pirates for the 2nd time in his career.

Things will not be any easier for the Brewers as they are going to be without Carlos Gomez for 15 days. Gomez was sidelined with a right hand string injury and with the way the Brewers have been hitting, this could be a very costly and bad timed injury for them.

On the road this season, Milwaukee is 1-2 S.U.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh is in the same boat as the Brewers. Unable to hit the ball, the Pirates come in after being shutout 2 straight times to the Detroit Tigers in their series loss. The Pirates are scoring a mere 3.2 runs a game in this young season.

The Pirates can point to Andrew McCutchen and Josh Harrison as their main reason for struggling offensively.

McCutchen is hitting just .207 on the season and has gone hitless in 4 of the games played.

Josh Harrison is hitting just .194 and like McCutchen, has gone hitless in 4 of the games this season.

Pittsburgh will send left hander Jeff Locke to the mound. Locke got the win against Milwaukee in his first start of the season, going 6 strong innings, allowing 7 hits and just 2 runs.

Locke has made 8 careers starts against Milwaukee going 3-2 with a 3.86 ERA.

MLB Baseball Trends:

• Brewers are 8-19 in their last 27 games following a loss.
• Brewers are 2-5 in their last 7 vs. National League Central.
• Pirates are 7-3 in their last 10 after scoring 2 runs or less in their previous game.
• Pirates are 14-6 in their last 20 after allowing 2 runs or less in their previous game

Free 4* MLB Baseball Pick: Pittsburgh -125

The Pirates had been playing some decent ball up until these past two shutouts. They scored 5 runs in the series opener vs. Detroit, and 10 runs before that. With both teams having already met just a week ago, pitchers will certainly be able to know what the hitters don’t like. Back the Pirates here as Locke has had success in PNC Park throughout his career and should be able to stifle this Brewers lineup.

Pittsburgh 4, Milwaukee 2