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First pitch for Sunday’s matchup between the Pirates and Guardians is set for 1:40 PM ET from Progressive Field in Cleveland. The Guardians are the heavy favorite on the money line, with their odds sitting at -149, while the Pirates are at +126. The over/under line is currently at 8 runs.
Cleveland comes into the game with a record of 77-59, while the Pirates are 63-72 overall. SN PT will be televising this interleague matchup, and the Guardians are starting Alex Cobb. Pittsburgh is going with Mitch Keller.
Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland Key Information
- Teams: Pirates at Guardians
- Where: Progressive Field Cleveland
- Date: Sunday, September 1st
- Betting Odds CLE -149 | PIT +126 O/U 8
The Pirates Can Win If…
Mitch Keller will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Cubs, as he gets the start for the Pirates vs. the Guardians today. In that last start, which came on August 26th, he took the loss, going 4 innings and giving up 3 earned runs. Looking back over his last four starts, Keller has allowed at least 3 earned runs in three of them. His record for the season is 11-8, and his ERA is 3.84. Keller’s WHIP for the season is 1.24. Out of his 26 starts, he has 13 quality starts and one complete game. Per nine innings, Keller is averaging 8.15 strikeouts and 2.48 walks.
Over the past nine games, Bryan Reynolds has been swinging a hot bat for the Pirates, going 11/35 with two homers and five RBIs. Reynolds is the Pirates’ top hitter for the season, batting .282 with 21 homers and 74 RBIs. Oneil Cruz is also swinging a hot bat, hitting .432 over the team’s last nine games.
As a team, the Pirates are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 20th in the league. They have been a below-average home run hitting team and are also near the bottom of the league in terms of slugging percentage and OPS. Overall, they are batting just .237.
- The Pirates are 4-6 in their last ten games.
- Over their last five games, the Pirates are 1-4 vs. the run line.
- Pittsburgh has an over/under record of 6-3-1 in their last ten games.
- The Pirates have an average of 6.8 runs per game over their last five games.
- Across their last ten road games, the Pirates are 2-8
- Looking back across the Pirates last five games as the favorite, they are 2-3
- Pittsburgh has gone 1-2 in their last three games as the underdog
- In their ten most recent road games, the Pirates have averaged 2.7 runs per game on offense
The Guardians Can Win If…
After picking up a win in his first start of the season, Alex Cobb will be on the mound for the Guardians as they take on the Pirates. In his first outing, Cobb went 5 2/3 innings, giving up just 1 earned run and striking out 3. He did allow 3 hits and 2 walks.
Cleveland comes into today’s game as the 13th highest-scoring team in the league, averaging 4.5 runs per game. This number jumps to 4.9 runs per game when they are at home. The Guardians are also one of the league’s top home run-hitting teams, as their 154 homers are 14th in the league. So far, they have been a below-average hitting team, with a team batting average of just .238.
Josh Naylor is currently on a three-game hitting streak and has gone 7/20 in his last five games. For the season, he is batting .241 with 28 homers. Naylor’s 98 RBIs are 3rd in the league. José Ramirez has been the Guardians’ top hitter this season, batting .274 with 33 homers and a league-leading 104 RBIs.
- The Guardians are 4-6 in their last ten games.
- Over their last five games, the Guardians are 2-3 vs. the run line.
- Cleveland has an over/under record of 5-5 in their last ten games.
- The Guardians have an average of 4.4 runs per game over their last five games.
- Across their last ten home games, the Guardians are 3-7
- Looking back across the Guardians last five games as the favorite, they are 2-3
- Cleveland has gone 0-3 in their last three games as the underdog
- In their ten most recent road games, the Guardians have averaged 2.6 runs per game on offense
Pirates Looking to Turn the Tide
The Pittsburgh Pirates are eager to leave a tough August behind and kick off September on a high note as they face the Cleveland Guardians in the deciding game of their three-game interleague series. After a challenging month, which included a 10-game losing streak, Pittsburgh ended August with a solid 3-0 victory over the Guardians on Saturday, snapping a four-game skid.
Luis Ortiz and three relievers combined for a two-hitter, while Rowdy Tellez’s two-run single and Nick Gonzales’s three-hit game powered the Pirates’ offense.
“I think it’s a good way to end August because we’ve had a challenging August,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “We need to build on that and finish strong.”
Veteran outfielder Andrew McCutchen has been a consistent bright spot for Pittsburgh, extending his hitting streak to 13 games. McCutchen is batting .333 (17-for-51) with four home runs and 16 RBIs during this hot stretch, providing both leadership and production in the lineup.
Guardians Focused on Playoff Positioning
The Cleveland Guardians, who are leading the American League Central, faced offensive struggles on Saturday, being shut out for the 14th time this season. Despite the setback, the Guardians were bolstered by the return of Josh Naylor, who had left Friday’s game with a left ankle contusion. Naylor doubled in four at-bats, continuing his recent hot streak with seven hits and six RBIs over his last three games.
“Josh is swinging at better pitches now,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “He was expanding his strike zone, trying to make things happen. Now he’s gotten back to taking those pitches and driving the ones up in the zone.”
Pitching Matchup: Cobb vs. Keller
Sunday’s game will see a matchup of right-handers, with Cleveland’s Alex Cobb (1-1, 4.35 ERA) facing off against Pittsburgh’s Mitch Keller (11-8, 3.84 ERA).
Cobb, who was acquired from the San Francisco Giants on July 30, will make his third start for the Guardians. The 36-year-old veteran hasn’t pitched since August 14 due to a nail fracture on his throwing hand, but after a successful live bullpen session earlier this week, he’s ready to return to the mound.
“Cobb did great,” Vogt said. “Stuff looked really good. No issues with the nail. So, really encouraging with Alex.”
Cobb holds a 0-1 record with a 3.52 ERA in four career starts against the Pirates.
On the other side, Pittsburgh’s Keller is looking to rebound after a rough outing against the Chicago Cubs last Monday, where he allowed three runs on seven hits over four innings in an 18-8 loss. The Cubs disrupted Keller’s rhythm, stealing seven bases while he was on the mound.
“Bad job on my part of holding them there,” Keller said after the game. “They destroyed us (Monday), destroyed me, personally. Just not good.”
Keller has faced his struggles against Cleveland as well, holding a 0-1 record with a 7.36 ERA in two career starts.
Game Outlook
As the Pirates look to carry the momentum from Saturday’s win into September, the Guardians remain focused on strengthening their playoff push. Both teams are determined to finish the series on a strong note, making Sunday’s finale a pivotal matchup as they head into the final stretch of the season.
The Lean
For a money-line pick, we are leaning toward the Guardians to come out on top at home vs. the Pirates. And as for how we would play the over/under line, we would go with the over, as this is projected to be the 9th highest-scoring game of today’s slate, and this one has the 6th highest total hits projection. Cleveland starter Alex Cobb has the best chance to pick up a win among today’s starters.
