Pirates
Pirates Daily: Contreras vs. Sydergaard, This Should Be Fun
Sunday, Aug. 28 the Pittsburgh Pirates (47-79) finish their three-game series against the Phillies (72-55) at 1:35 p.m. at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
The Pirates were shut out for the 13th time in 2022 on Saturday night, losing 6-0. They have scored one run or none in 31 games this season.
The weather at Citizen Bank Park for first pitch will be partly cloudy with a temperature forecast at 86 degrees. Wind will be coming from the southeast and blow around 7 mph. Rain is expected from 2-4 p.m.
The game will air on AT&T Sportsnet Pittsburgh and 93.7 The Fan.
Starters
Roansy Contreras (3-4, 3.86 ERA) is expected to take the mound for the Pirates. In Contreras’ last start he pitched seven strong innings against the Atlanta Braves and gave up two earned runs on four hits and three walks in a losing effort. Contreras primarily throws three pitches, with the four-seam fastball (51.2%), slider (29.6%), and the curveball (15.7%). Contreras will occasionally throw a changeup (3.6%).
Contreras’ mound opponent will be Noah Syndergaard (8-8, 3.77 ERA). Syndergaard’s last outing saw him pitch seven innings against the Cincinnati Reds where he gave up one earned run on thee hits. Syndergaard has a five-pitch mix with a sinker (29.4%), slider (21.6%), changeup (20.7%), four-seam fastball (17.7%), and a curveball (10.6%).
Betting Odds
The Pittsburgh Pirates are heavy underdogs on the moneyline at +250 whereas the Phillies open up as -300 favorites. Pittsburgh’s +1.5 on the run line can be had at +125 odds, and Philadelphia’s -1.5 can be had at -145. The over/under stands at nine runs.
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Who’s Hot/Who’s Not
Who’s Hot:Â Chase De Jong continued his dominant streak Saturday night. He pitched three shutout innings while giving up three hits and two walks. DeJong has made five straight scoreless relief appearances, covering 13.1 innings.
Who’s Not:Â Ke’Bryan Hayes has had a rough go of things since coming off of the injured list Tuesday, going 3 for 16 (.188).
Tidbits:
- Ben Gamel has knocked in 14 runs in his last 16 games, dating to Aug. 10,
tied for the eighth-most in MLB in that time. The St. Louis Cardinals’ Paul Goldschmidt leads the way with 21.
- The Pirates have now matched their home run total from last year at 124 and have had 22 different players register at least one homer.
- The Pirates outfield has combined to hit for 50 home runs, which places them sixth in the National League and 10th in the major leagues.
Links
Pirates Claim RHP Robert Stephenson From Rockies; DFA Kevin Padlo
Perrotto: Pirates Have Become Baseball’s Punchline
Perrotto: Pirates Second-Half Regression Discouraging (+)
Potanko: Does the Pirates Front Office Have a Game Plan? (+)
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