Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chicago Cubs 6/15/2023 Expert Picks, Tips and Odds
On Thursday, June 15, 2023, at 8:05 PM ET, the Pittsburgh Pirates will play the Chicago Cubs in Major League Baseball action at Wrigley Field, Illinois. The Pittsburgh Pirates, who have won seven out of their last eleven games, are the only club in the NL Central with a winning record. With 4.5 runs scored per game, a batting average of.248, and fewer than one home run produced each game, Pittsburgh is the 19th-best offensive team in MLB. Speed was the secret to Pittsburgh’s success. With 70 stolen bases, the team ranks second in MLB, led by Ji-hwan Bae’s 19 thefts.
The Pirates have a 4.23 ERA as a team, which places them 16th in MLB. However, over their last 10 games, both their starters and relievers have struggled, pushing the ERA up to 5.36. Rich Hill (6-5, 4.23 ERA), a left-hander who is 43 years old, is scheduled to debut on Thursday. Hill travels well, posting a 3-2 record and a 3.68 ERA. The Pirates’ Hill began the first two games, allowing just three earned runs in the last 13.2 innings while fanning 12 and walking five.
This year, the bullpen relievers allowed 81 runs, and 27.2% of those runs were scored. The Pirates used 199 relievers throughout the course of the season. This season, the bullpen has 33 holds, good for 22nd in the league. They had 26 possibilities to make saves this year but only managed to convert 19.
- Pittsburgh is 1-7 SU in their last 8 meetings with the Chicago Cubs.
- The total went OVER in 5 of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ last 6 games on the road.
- The Pirates are 1-6 SU in their last 7 games on the road against the Cubs.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chicago Cubs 6/15/2023 Expert Picks, Tips and Odds
After a strong start, the Cubs only won 19 of their previous 50 games, but most recently four of their past five. The Cubs have a dismal overall record, but they are just 4.5 games down in their division. Chicago was producing 4.4 runs per game as of Wednesday, placing 20th overall, 18th with a.245 batting average, and 18th with 1.2 home runs per game. With 28 RBI, Patrick Wisdom is second on the squad, leading the team with 14 home runs. Eight Cubs players contributed 20 to 28 runs to their team’s total this year.
The 4.19 ERA, 15th-ranked Chicago pitching staff will rely on its ace on Thursday. Marcus Stroman, a right-hander who is 5’7″ and is 32 years old, is having an All-Star-caliber season (7-4, 2.42 ERA) and has made seven starts at home while going 4-3 with a 2.15 ERA. The current Pirates have a combined.310 on-base percentage against Stroman in their 56 at-bats, but no home runs.
Chicago bullpen pitchers entered the game and recorded nine saves out of 15 opportunities. They have used 206 relievers this season and are currently ranked 19th in baseball with a 60.0% save percentage. They used their relief pitchers 55 times with runners on base and 48 times with strong leverage. The Chicago bullpen pitchers’ inherited scoring rate is 28.3% out of the 92 inherited base runners.
- The total went OVER in 4 of the Chi Cubs’ last 5 meetings with the Pirates.
- The total hung OVER in 9 of the Cubs’ last 13 games at home.
- The Chicago Cubs are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games at home against Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs The MLB pick for this game is the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs should continue to smash lefties better than the Pirates did against righties this season given the starting pitching matchup. Marcus Stroman’s past five games saw him on a roll with a 1.26 ERA and a win for the Cubs. These wins came against tough competition, including the Giants, Padres, Rays, Mets, and Phillies. Rich Hill was respectable but not quite at the same level, as seen by his 4.06 ERA during his previous five outings. Hill’s most recent performances saw victories for the Pirates three times, despite the fact that at that time he was humiliated by the Giants and Rangers and had his finest game against the Tigers. The odds are in favor of the Chicago Cubs, 7-3.
MLB Starting Time: 8:05 PM ET
Location: Wrigley Field, IL
Date: Thursday, June 15, 2023
TV: Marquee
MLB Odds: Chicago Cubs -156
MLB Totals: 8.5
