The Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates meet Sunday in MLB action at PNC Park. Let’s preview this game and give out a pick and prediction.
The Cincinnati Reds have scored 6 runs in their last 3 games and 3 or fewer runs in 6 of their last 7 games. The Reds are 1-9 this season when scoring 3 or fewer runs. Jonathan India leads the Reds with 23 hits and 8 RBI, while TJ Friedl and Tyler Stephenson have combined for 41 hits and 18 RBI. Hunter Greene gets the ball, and he is 0-0 with a 4.24 ERA and 24 strikeouts this season. Greene is 0-1 with a 2.16 ERA and 27 strikeouts in his career against the Pirates.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have scored 10 runs in their last 3 games and 4 or more runs in 7 of their last 8 games. The Pirates are 13-2 this season when scoring 4 or more runs. Bryan Reynolds leads the Pirates with 25 hits and 18 RBI, while Carlos Santana and Connor Joe have combined for 40 hits and 20 RBI. Vince Velasquez gets the ball, and he is 2-2 with a 5.12 ERA and 17 strikeouts this season. Velasquez is 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA and 19 strikeouts in his career against the Reds.
The Reds are 13-5 in their last 18 Sunday games and 17-35 in their last 52 overall. The Pirates are 10-4 in their last 14 home games and 2-6 in their last 8 Sunday games. The under is 4-1 in Reds last 5 overall. The over is 6-1 in Pirates last 7 during game 4 of a series. The Reds are 0-5 in the last 5 meetings in Pittsburgh and 2-10 in the last 12 meetings.
This line is confusing when you consider the Reds can’t score runs and Hunter Greene is a young, talented pitcher who still has issues with control. Vince Velasquez isn’t lighting the world on fire, but at least he has a Pirates’ offense behind him that can provide run support. At home, give me the Pirates and the more favorable price.