Pirates
Pirates Daily: Honey Wake Up, Mitch Keller is Pitching Today
Friday, Aug. 5, the Pittsburgh Pirates (43-62) start a three-game weekend series with the Baltimore Orioles (54-51) at Camden Yards. The Pirates are coming off of a very impressive three-game sweep of the Brewers and look to continue their success in Baltimore.
UPDATE (8:23 p.m.)The tarp is coming off the field. First pitch is now expected to be around 8:50 p.m.
The weather at Camden Yards looks a bit shaky at first pitch (7:05 p.m). Thunderstorms are at a 70% chance through 11 p.m. The temperature will be 86 degrees, and the wind will be around seven mph, blowing southwest.
The game will be broadcast on AT&T Sportsnet PIT and over the airwaves on SportsRadio 93.7 THE FAN.
Starters
The improved Mitch Keller (3-7, 4.37 ERA) will get the nod for the Pirates Friday night, and his opponent is scheduled to be Dean Kremer (3-3, 3.86 ERA).
Keller is coming off of a very weird performance in his last start. Although Keller allowed eight baserunners, he only allowed one run. Truly, the old Keller would’ve crumbled in that situation, so progress…?
Kremer is coming off of a rather ugly performance against the Reds on July 30. In 4.1 innings pitched, Kremer allowed 10 hits, six earned runs, walked one, and struck out three.
Betting Odds
The Pittsburgh Pirates open us as underdogs with the moneyline reading PIT +134 and BAL -158. The O/U stands at 8.5 runs, with the run lines looking like PIT +1.5 (-159) and BAL -1.5 +128).
Who’s Hot/Who’s Not?
Who’s Hot: Bryan Reynolds was a hit machine during the last two games of the Brewers series, going 5 for 8 with two RBIs
Who’s Not: In his last seven games at the major league level, Bligh Madris has yet to register a hit in 20 at-bats.
Tidbits
- The Pirates are 77-56 in games when Reynolds collects at least one RBI in his career. Reynolds has the fourth-most home runs (16) among all switch hitters in MLB this year, trailing only Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez (21), the New York Mets’ Francisco Lindor (19), and Baltimore’s Anthony Santander (19).
- This will be the Pittsburgh Pirates’ first visit to Baltimore since a two-game series from June 6-7, 2017.
- A total of six different players have been used at catcher for the Pirates this season, the most by any team in MLB. It’s the most catchers the Pirates have used in a season since also using six in 2016…The only seasons in club history when Pittsburgh used more catchers were 1914 (nine), 1953 (eight), and 2011 (eight).
Baseball Links
Pirates Prospect Player of the Month for July: Endy Rodriguez
MLB trade deadline winners and losers: Padres make a super-team, Cubs bafflingly hold players
Pirates Discussion: End of Seven Game Skid
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