Cleveland comes into this interleague matchup vs. the Pirates as the heavy favorite, with their money line odds sitting at -149. The Pirates are +126 on the money line, and today's over/under line is sitting at 8 runs. First pitch from Progressive Field is set for 1:40 PM ET, and SN PT is carrying this one on TV.
The Pirates will be starting Mitch Keller, while Alex Cobb will be on the bump for the Guardians. Keller is 63-72, and the Guardians are 77-59, which has them in first place in the AL Central. Cleveland is 2.5 games up on the White Sox, while the Pirates are +126 on the money line.
Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Pirates at Guardians
- Where: Progressive Field Cleveland
- Date: Sunday, September 1st
- Betting Odds CLE -149 | PIT +126 O/U 8
Pirates vs Guardians Last Game Recap
Pittsburgh picked up a 3-0 win over the Guardians in the most recent game of this series. The Pirates offense got off to a fast start, scoring all three of their runs in the first two innings. As for the Guardians, they only mustered two hits and didn't score a run until the 8th inning.
Luis L. Ortiz started for the Pirates and picked up the win, going six innings and not giving up a run. He finished the game with five strikeouts but issued three walks. Matthew Boyd got the start for the Guardians, giving up just one earned run across six innings of work.
Nick Gonzales was the Pirates' top hitter, going 3/5 with two runs scored. Both Oneil Cruz and Rowdy Tellez each drove in two runs for Pittsburgh's offense.
Pirates Preview
On the run line, the Pirates have a 41-26 record on the road and are 56-28 as underdogs. Their average run differential in wins is +3.2, but it drops to -3.5 in losses. Pittsburgh's overall over/under record is 66-67, with games averaging 8.8 runs per game.
Pittsburgh is 63-72 overall this season and 16.5 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. They are tied with the Reds for 4th place in the division and have an overall series record of 18-20-5.
Pittsburgh is sending Mitch Keller to the mound today vs. the Guardians, and he comes in with a record of 11-8 and an ERA of 3.84. Keller's WHIP for the season is currently 1.24. In his 26 starts, he has turned in 13 quality starts and one complete game. Looking back at his last outing, Keller took the loss vs. the Cubs, giving up three earned runs in four innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts. So far this year, he has an ERA of 5.36 on the road compared to 3.15 at home.
Oneil Cruz has been on fire for the Pirates of late, going 16/37 in his last nine games, while also driving in six runs. Bryan Reynolds has also been swinging a hot bat, going 11/35 in his last nine games, including two homers. Reynolds comes into the game with a team-high 21 homers and 74 RBIs, while batting .282 for the season.
As a team, the Pirates are averaging 4.2 runs per game and are 24th in the league in home runs. Their team batting average of .237 is 15th in the league, and they are also among the league leaders in strikeouts. Pittsburgh's most patient hitter has been Reynolds, who also leads the team in on-base percentage.
Guardians Preview
At home, the Guardians have a 37-18 record as favorites, and overall, they are 54-30 when favored. Cleveland is currently 77-59, holding a 2.5-game lead over the Royals in the AL Central. The Guardians have a 24-14-5 series record this season.
When Cleveland wins, they do so by an average of 3.3 runs per game, and when they lose, they lose by an average of 3.2 runs. Their games have averaged 8.6 runs, resulting in a 65-62 over/under record. This season, 47.1% of their games have had totals higher than today's line of 8 runs.
Getting the start at home for the Guardians is Alex Cobb. In his first start of the season, Cobb went 5 2/3 innings, allowing just 1 earned run on 3 hits. He picked up the win in that outing. His first start of the year was on the road against the Twins, where he took the loss, going 4 2/3 innings and giving up 4 runs.
Over the last five games, Josh Naylor has been swinging a hot bat, going 7/20 with six RBIs. Naylor comes into the game with a three-game hitting streak. For the season, he is batting .241 with 28 homers, which is 8th in the league. Naylor's 98 RBIs is the 3rd best mark in the MLB this season.
Jose Ramirez is batting .274 for the Guardians this season and is 2nd on the team with 33 homers. His 104 RBIs is the best mark on the team and 2nd in the league. He is also 5th in the league in homers. For the season, Cleveland is 13th in the league in scoring, averaging 4.5 runs per game.
Pirates vs. Guardians Prediction: Guardians ML -149
Our pick for this Pirates vs. Guardians matchup is to take the Guardians on the money line at -149. We actually have the Guardians winning this one by a score of 6-4, which means there could be some value in taking the over, as the line is currently sitting at 8 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, our projections have Alex Cobb finishing with six strikeouts compared to Mitch Keller with five. Cobb is also predicted to go longer in this one, and he has the second-best ERA among today's starters.
