Thursday night will feature a battle of National League foes as the Pittsburgh Pirates (34-39) take on the Miami Marlins (42-33). The Marlins will host this one at Loan Depot Park, with first pitch scheduled for 6:40 pm ET.
The Marlins are the favorites playing in this one at home. They are -126 to win, while the Pirates’ moneyline sits at +108. The runline features Pittsburgh +1.5 (-192), and the over/under for total runs is 7.5.
Pirates Looking To Get Out Of Current Funk
Having lost 9 of their last 10 games, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ once meteoric rise to the top of the NL Central has come crashing down. They currently sit fourth in the division, five games behind the Reds. Still, despite their rough stretch as of late, if they can get out of their current funk they should still be able to compete in an otherwise weak division.
Taking the ball for Thursday’s opener is 27-year-old righty, Mitch Keller. In 15 games this season, Keller has posted a solid 8-3 record with a 3.62 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and he has 108 strikeouts in 92 innings pitched. In his last start, against the Brewers, he did give up four earned runs over five innings in the loss.
Offensively, the Pirates rank 22nd in scoring, averaging 4.17 runs per game (4.44 on the road). Leading the offense is outfielder Jack Suwinski, who is hitting just .226/.347/.497, but he leads the team with 15 home runs.
The Pirates are hoping that outfielder Bryan Reynolds can return from his back injury Thursday. He has been day-to-day and has missed the last few games. In 258 at bats this season, Reynolds is hitting .279/.350/.473 with eight home runs and leads the team with 40 runs batted in and 38 runs scored.
Surprise Marlins Hope To Stay Solid At Home
At 42-33, the Miami Marlins have the fourth-best winning percentage in the National League and second-best record in the NL East. Trailing the Braves by six games, they will look to improve on their 22-15 home record.
The Marlins will turn to 25-year-old southpaw Braxton Garrett in this one. In 14 games, he is 3-2 with a 3.88 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and he has 77 strikeouts in 69.2 innings. In his last two starts, Garrett has given up just one run over 11.1 innings, while striking out 17.
Miami has struggled a bit on offense. They currently rank 26th in scoring, averaging 4.05 runs per game (4.00 at home).
Despite their offensive struggles, Jorge Soler is having an All-Star caliber season. In 258 at bats, he is hitting .252/.353/.543 and leads the team in home runs (21), runs batted in (45), and runs scored (40 runs).
Luis Arraez is also having a phenomenal season as he was the first player to 100 hits (currently has 105) and is hitting a remarkable .398/.447/.485.
Take The Marlins To Win The Opener
Looking at the trends, the Pirates are winless in their last nine games and in their last six road games. They are 1-4 in their last five against the Marlins.
For Miami, they are 13-5 in their last 18 games and 7-2 in their last nine home games. Against the NL Central, the UNDER has hit in 13 of their last 20 games.
Mitch Keller is the type of player that can help end a losing streak, but until it gets done, it is hard to bet on the Pirates right now. On the flip side, Miami has been one of the pleasant surprises of the season and has played well at home.
With that in mind, take Miami to win the opener Thursday straight up (-126).
