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Pirates Daily: The Johan Oviedo Experiment Continues

Published

2 years ago

September 24, 2022

Saturday, Sept. 24, the Pittsburgh Pirates (55-96) face the Chicago Cubs (66-85) at PNC Park. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35.

The Pirates’ bullpen struggled yet again on Friday, with Wil Crowe allowing three earned runs while walking three in 0.1 innings pitched. The Pirates’ offense couldn’t pull out a victory and fell 6-5 and have now lost eight straight games.

The game will be aired on AT&T Sportsnet PIT and can be heard on 93.7 The Fan

Weather

It will be a tad warmer than the other two games with temperatures around 66 degrees at first pitch. The wind will blow southwest and be around 5-6 mph.

Starters

The Pirates will start Johan Oviedo (3-2, 3.69 ERA) in yet another attempt to convert him to a starter.

Oviedo was all over the place in his last start on Sept. 18 against the New York Mets. Oviedo walked four batters in four innings pitched and gave up three earned runs on five hits. Oviedo’s pitch count was in trouble early on, and as a result, he threw 84 pitches, which seems to be a recurring theme four the Cuban native.

Starting for the Cubs will be left-hander Wade Miley (1-1, 3.48 ERA)

Miley struggled, much like Oviedo in his last start on Sept. 19 against the Miami Marlins. Miley managed to go just three innings and gave up three earned runs on seven hits and two walks. Miley’s pitch count was sky-high as well at 74.

Betting Odds

There is no clear favorite on the moneyline as the betting opens. The Cubs stand at -107, and the Pirates open at -108. Chicago’s runline of -1.5 can be had at +150 odds, whereas Pittsburgh’s +1.5 can be had at -195. The O/U opens at 7.5.

Who’s Hot/Who’s Not

Who’s Hot: Bryan Reynolds impressed yet again, mashing his 25th homer of the season for the Pirates. Reynolds finished two for four with two RBIs.

Who’s Not: There has to be some sort of injury Crowe is battling, but it’s hard to deny how awful he has been recently. In Crowe’s last seven appearances, he has given up 11 earned runs, 11 walks, and 13 hits in 7.1 innings pitched.

Tidbits:

With Reynolds’ 25th homer on Friday, he has now hit a career-high. Reynolds’ previous career high was set in the 2021 season.
Ji-Hwan Bae became the 65th player used during the Pirates 2022 campaign, which breaks the franchise record of 64 players used in the ’21 season.
Oneil Cruz has now drawn five walks in his last four games played. These numbers aren’t ground breaking, but it does show some progress at the plate.