The Pirates and Diamondbacks are set to face off in an NL matchup at 9:40 PM ET at Chase Field in Phoenix. The money line odds have the Diamondbacks favored at -175, while the Pirates are sitting at +144. The over/under line is currently 8.5 runs.
Friday's matchup features Luis L. Ortiz for the Pirates and Zac Gallen for the Diamondbacks. Pittsburgh is 52-50, while the Diamondbacks are just above .500 at 53-50. Arizona is currently on a two-game winning streak and is 3rd in the NL West, while the Pirates are 3rd in the NL Central.
Pittsburgh vs. Arizona Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Pirates at Diamondbacks
- Where: Chase Field Phoenix
- Date: Friday, July 26th
- Betting Odds ARI -175 | PIT +144 O/U 8.5
Pirates Preview
The Pirates's offense was hot right out of the gates in their most recent game vs. the Cardinals, closing out their series with a 5-0 win. After allowing a run in the top of the first, the Pirates responded with four runs of their own. Pittsburgh went on to add another run in the 2nd inning.
Martin Perez put together a good start for the Pirates, going six innings and not giving up a run. He also issued just two walks and struck out two. Rowdy Tellez was hot at the plate, going 2/3 with a homer and two RBIs.
After taking the series vs. the Cardinals, the Pirates are 52-50 overall and sit 3rd in the NL Central, seven games behind the Brewers. They have been playing well, going 8-2 in their last 10 games, and have a 26-24 record on the road.
As underdogs, the Pirates have been a strong play vs. the run line, going 41-19. The under has hit in their last five games, and their over/under record for the season is 46-55. The O/U record for games with an 8.5 run line is 19-13.
Pittsburgh is sending Luis L. Ortiz to the mound today, and he has made 26 appearances this season, including four starts. Ortiz's ERA for the season is 2.57, and he has a record of 5-2. In his last outing, he picked up the win, going seven innings and not giving up a run. Looking back over his last three outings, Ortiz has finished with a no-decision in each one. He has made three quality starts this year and is averaging 7.21 strikeouts per nine innings. For the season, Ortiz has allowed three homers and is averaging 2.57 walks per nine innings.
So far this season, the Pirates are averaging 4.1 runs per game, which is 21st in the league. Their batting average of .232 is 19th in the league, and they are also near the bottom of the league in terms of on-base percentage, slugging, and OPS. One positive for the Pirates is that they have been making a lot of hard contact, as their BABIP is 13th in the league.
Bryan Reynolds has been a bright spot for the Pirates this season, as he is batting .288 with a team-leading 18 home runs and 61 RBIs. Oneil Cruz is also having a good season, with 15 homers and 51 RBIs, but he is batting just .250. Cruz has been hot of late, going 7/23 in his last six games with a home run and seven RBIs.
Diamondbacks Preview
The Diamondbacks's offense was hot right out of the gates in their most recent game vs. the Royals, closing out their series with an 8-6 win. After allowing one run to the Royals in the 2nd inning, the Diamondbacks responded with a run of their own and added three more in the 4th. Arizona went on to score another four runs in the 9th inning.
Ryne Nelson got the start for the Diamondbacks, going six innings and giving up four earned runs on nine hits. He only had two strikeouts in the outing and took the loss. Arizona's offense was carried by Ketel Marte, who went 2/4 with a homer and three RBIs.
Arizona has been a solid bet on the run line this season, going 54-49 overall. The Diamondbacks have been even better on the run line on the road, going 31-22. As the underdog, they have a 35-23 run line record, but have struggled as the favorite, going 19-26.
The Diamondbacks are 53-50 overall and trail the Dodgers by 8.5 games in the NL West. They have won three straight series and their overall series record is 16-13-4. Arizona's over/under record for the season is 54-46, with games averaging 9.7 runs per game.
Right-hander Zac Gallen gets the start for the Diamondbacks today as he faces off against the Pirates at home. He has made 16 starts this season and has a record of 7-5 to go along with a 3.64 ERA. Gallen's WHIP for the season is currently 1.25. In his last outing, he picked up the win, going five innings and not giving up a run to the Cubs. Before that, he had given up at least one homer in three straight starts. Gallen's ERA at home is 3.9 compared to 3.69 on the road.
Arizona comes into the game as one of the league's best offensive teams, averaging 4.9 runs per game, which is 3rd in the league. They have been even better on the road this season, averaging 5 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .252, which is 7th in the MLB right now. The Diamondbacks are also among the league leaders in walks and on-base percentage.
Christian Walker and Ketel Marte have been a nice 1-2 punch for the Diamondbacks this season, as Walker leads the team with 23 homers, and Marte is right behind him with 22. Marte has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 6/19 in his last five games, with three homers and seven RBIs. Marte also comes into the game on a three-game hitting streak.
Pirates vs. Diamondbacks Prediction: Over 8.5 Runs -102
Our prediction for this Pirates vs. Diamondbacks matchup is to take the Diamondbacks to win, but with their money line sitting at -175, we recommend taking the over, as the payout is much better at -102, and we have the Diamondbacks winning 5-4.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Zac Gallen finishing with six strikeouts, which is the fourth-best among starters today. As for Luis L. Ortiz, we have him finishing with five K's, which is eighth worst.
Offensively, we have the Diamondbacks finishing with eight hits, which is the eighth worst in the league today. As for the Pirates, they are projected to finish with eight strikeouts, which is the eighth most.
