The Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cleveland Guardians meet Saturday in MLB action from Progressive Field. Here’s a Cleveland Guardians vs Pittsburgh Pirates prediction. This will be the second installment in a three-game series. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Guardians vs Pirates pick.
Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Preview
The Pirates played the Chicago Cubs in their last series. Pittsburgh lost all three of those games 18-8, 9-5 and 14-10. On Friday versus the Guardians, Pittsburgh took a 10-8 loss. Starter Bailey Falter logged 4.0 innings with four earned runs.
In the starter slot for the Pirates on Saturday will be Luis Ortiz. This year Ortiz is 5-4 with a 3.36 ERA in 32 games (10 starts). Over 54 career games (29 starts) Ortiz is 10-11 with a 4.03 ERA.
Cleveland Guardians Betting Preview
Over on the Guardians’ side, they played four against the Kansas City Royals this week. Cleveland lost the first three before a 7-5 win in the finale. On Friday the Guardians posted 16 hits in the high-scoring win. Ben Lively went 4.1 innings as starter with six earned runs.
It’ll be Matthew Boyd in the starter slot for the Guardians on Saturday. This year Boyd is 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA in three starts. Boyd is 45-67 with a 4.90 ERA in 177 games (163 starts).
Total Runs Facts
- Each of the Guardians’ last six games as favorites against the Pirates have gone OVER the total runs line.
- Each of the Pirates’ last four night games after playing the previous day have gone OVER the total runs line.
- The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Pirates’ last four night games at Progressive Field.
- The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Guardians’ last four games against National League opponents.
Cleveland Guardians Player Prop Facts
- Andres Gimenez has recorded at least one hit in each of his last nine appearances with the Guardians as favorites against NL Central opponents.
- Andres Gimenez has recorded at least one Single in each of his last six appearances with the Guardians as favorites against NL Central opponents.
- Matthew Boyd has recorded six or more strikeouts in each of his last five appearances in night games against teams that held a losing record.
- Matthew Boyd has recorded a win in three of his last four appearances with his team as a favorite .
- Andres Gimenez has hit a home run in two of the Guardians’ last three games as favorites against the Pirates.
- Andres Gimenez has recorded at least one total base in each of his last nine appearances with the Guardians as favorites against NL Central opponents.
- Steven Kwan has scored at least one run in 12 of his last 13 appearances against NL Central opponents that held a losing record.
- Josh Naylor has recorded at least one RBI in seven of the Guardians’ last eight home games against NL Central opponents.
Pittsburgh Pirates Player Prop Facts
- Rowdy Tellez has hit a home run in each of his last two appearances with the Pirates as underdogs against AL Central opponents.
- Isiah Kiner-Falefa has recorded at least one total base in each of his last 11 road appearances against AL Central opponents.
- Andrew McCutchen has recorded a Double in each of the Pirates’ last five road games against AL Central opponents.
- Ke’Bryan Hayes has scored at least one run in each of his last eight road appearances against AL opponents.
- Andrew McCutchen has recorded at least one RBI in each of his last four appearances against AL opponents that held a winning record.
- Isiah Kiner-Falefa has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 11 appearances with his team as an underdog against the Guardians.
- Ke’Bryan Hayes has recorded at least one Single in each of his last six appearances with the Pirates as road underdogs against AL opponents.
Cleveland Guardians vs Pittsburgh Pirates Prediction
I’m leaning toward the Guardians. Boyd has done well over his last three starts, posting a 1-0 record with five earned (three in one start) in 16.2 innings total. As for Ortiz, he had a couple of losses earlier this month but is also coming off 6.0 clean frames versus the Reds.
On Friday the Guardians were down 6-4 at one point but eventually took the lead for good with four runs in the fifth inning. Every hitter got in on the action in a great offensive effort. That said, Lively’s outing left the team in a big hole. Still, I like Cleveland to keep it going Saturday.