MLB Picks: It should be a low scoring game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds on Friday. The Pirates look to be on their way to the playoffs while the Reds are playing out the string. The Pirates are expected to go with Vance Worley on Friday while the Reds should be going with Mike Leake. Here is a look at the matchup and MLB picks.
Friday’s Probable Pitchers – Worley vs. Leake
Vance Worley has pitched really well this season for the Pirates and he could be part of the rotation in the playoffs. He comes into this game at 8-4 on the season with a 2.93 ERA. He is coming off a really good outing last time out as he threw 8 innings and allowed no runs and four hits in a 1-0 win.
Mike Leake comes into this game at 11-13 with a 3.78 ERA. He has not pitched well of late as his ERA in September is 7.71. He hasn’t gone more than six innings in any of his recent starts. He has a 5.82 ERA in his last three starts. The one positive is that he has a 6-3 career mark against the Pirates with a 3.33 ERA.
Game Notes
The Pirates have not been a good road team this season as they come into this contest with a losing road mark. The reason the Pirates are going to make the playoffs is their great home mark of 51-30. The Pirates are averaging 4.2 runs per game while allowing 3.5 runs per contest.
The Reds have a winning home mark but they have been awful on the road. Their problem is hitting as they are near the bottom of the league in runs scored. They are also nothing special in terms of team ERA as they allow 3.61 runs per game.
Series Notes
The Reds have won six of the last ten in this series although the Pirates won two of three late last month in Pittsburgh. The last three in the series have gone under the total. The Pirates have won six of the last ten in Cincinnati but the games have been higher scoring with five of the last six going over.
Betting Prognosis
We’ll look for this game on Friday to stay under the total.
