Pittsburgh Pirates vs Cincinnati Reds Picks and Predictions August 23rd 2024

From PNC Park in Pittsburgh, the Reds and Pirates face off in an NL Central matchup. First pitch for Friday’s matchup is set for 6:40 PM ET. The forecast for the game calls for broken clouds and temperatures in the low 80s.

Cincinnati is favored on the money line, with oddsmakers listing them at -101 compared to the Pirates at -118. The over/under line is currently 8.5 runs, and tonight’s pitching matchup is Andrew Abbott for the Reds and Bailey Falter for the Pirates. Cincinnati is 62-66 this season, while the Pirates are 60-67.

Cincinnati vs. Pittsburgh Key Information

Cincinnati is sending left-hander Andrew Abbott to the mound today vs. the Pirates. He has made 25 starts this season and has a record of 10-10 with a 3.72 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, Abbott has a WHIP of 1.30 and has allowed a total of 25 home runs. In his last outing, he took the loss, giving up four earned runs in five innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts. One positive note for Abbott is that he has a BB/9 of 3.39 compared to 7.43 strikeouts per nine innings.

Elly De La Cruz has been swinging a hot bat of late for the Reds, going 5/16 in his last five games with a home run and four runs scored. Overall, he is batting .262 with a team-high 22 homers. De La Cruz is also 2nd on the team in RBIs, with 56. Cincinnati’s other top power threat is Spencer Steer, who has 19 homers and is batting .234 for the season.

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As a team, the Reds are 14th in the league in scoring at 4.4 runs per game. They have been a little better on the road, averaging 4.5 runs per contest. Currently, the Reds are batting just .230 as a team, which is 22nd in the league.

Bailey Falter gets the start for the Pirates today and is coming off a solid outing vs. the Mariners. In that August 17th start, he went 5 2/3 innings, giving up two earned runs and picking up the win. Looking back further, Falter has made 21 starts this year and has a record of 6-7. His ERA for the season is 4.03, along with a WHIP of 1.25. Opposing batters are hitting .252 off the left-hander this year. Falter has turned in seven quality starts and is averaging 6.29 strikeouts per nine innings. For the year, he has allowed 13 homers and is averaging 2.6 walks per nine innings.

So far this season, the Pirates offense has been one of the worst in the league, as they are 22nd in runs per game (4.1), and have the 21st batting average in the league. They are also near the bottom of the league in home runs and have the 27th most strikeouts in the league. The Pirates offense will need to improve, as they are averaging just 4.1 runs per game at home and on the road.

Bryan Reynolds has been a bright spot for the Pirates this season, as he is hitting .282 with a team-high 19 home runs and 70 RBIs. Oneil Cruz and Bryan De La Cruz are also near the top of the Pirates home run and RBI leaderboards. Jared Triolo has struggled of late, going just 3/16 in his last six games.

For an over/under pick, our lean is on the over, as this is projected to be the 4th highest-scoring game of the day. As for who is going to take this one straight up, we have our lean on the Reds to pick up the win. Looking at today’s starters, Bailey Falter is 7th among today’s starters in worst projected strikeouts compared to Andrew Abbott (9th worst).

Reds Aim to Rebound and Reach .500 Against Pirates

The Cincinnati Reds are anxious to get once more into the National League wild-card race, on the whole, they need to move back to .500. As they proceed with their four-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night, the Reds are wanting to recover force after an unpleasant stretch of games.

Reds Battling to Reach .500

The Reds have been playing with a .500 record for a significant part of the last part of the time, yet they haven’t had the option to arrive at that imprint since tumbling to 16-16 on May 3. Cincinnati has had numerous amazing chances to return to even, most as of late in the wake of clearing the St. Louis Cardinals in mid-August. In any case, they’ve battled from that point forward, going 2-5 in their last seven games.

In the series opener against the Pirates on Thursday, the Reds were closed down in a 7-0 misfortune. Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes tossed six shutout innings, and Bryan De La Cruz drove the offense with three hits and three RBIs.

“We know we have to be better,” said Reds left-hander Andrew Abbott, who is scheduled to start on Friday. “That’s the key thing. Staying true to who we are. We are playing some tough teams down the stretch, but we know we can play better.”

Andrew Abbott Looks to Bounce Back

Andrew Abbott (10-10, 3.72 ERA) has struggled in recent outings, going 1-4 in his last five starts with a 6.12 ERA. He’ll be looking to turn things around against the Pirates, a team he’s had some success against in the past. Abbott is 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA in two career starts against Pittsburgh.

Abbott’s last start was a tough one, as he took the loss against the Kansas City Royals after allowing four runs on six hits in five innings. The game was interrupted by a 45-minute rain delay, which didn’t help his rhythm.

“I was able to hold them to four. I wanted it to be less, but to hold them to four and give us a chance to come back and win was basically all you can wish for in that situation,” Abbott said.

Pirates Rely on Bailey Falter

The Pirates will send left-hander Bailey Flounder (6-7, 4.02 ERA) to the hill on Friday. Waver is falling off a strong trip against the Seattle Sailors, where he permitted two sudden spikes in demand for eight hits more than 5 2/3 innings in a 7-2 triumph. He likewise paired a lifelong high with eight strikeouts in that game.

“Felt really good,” Falter said after the win. “Thought the fastball and slider were really good today. The curveball, I’ve been working on it for a while, (and it) had better action, better break today. Still can get a little bit better in that department. Overall, I thought we did really well.”

Falter, however, has struggled historically against the Reds, posting a 0-3 record with a 6.67 ERA in seven career appearances (five starts) against Cincinnati.

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Bryan De La Cruz Stays Hot for Pirates

Bryan De La Cruz has been a brilliant spot for the Pirates as of late, driving in five runs over the beyond three games while hitting in the cleanup spot. His three-run twofold on Thursday was a significant second in the game, tearing it open for Pittsburgh.

“I put in my mind, ‘Hey, you’re the best right there,’” De La Cruz said after the game. “Do what you do, hit it the other way. Don’t try to pull that ball.”

With De La Cruz warming up and the Pirates hoping to expand on their series-opening win, Cincinnati should figure out how to answer in the event that they desire to refocus and proceed with their move toward .500.

High Stakes for the Reds

As the Reds proceed with their journey to reach .500 and remain in the chase after a wild-card spot, each game matters. Confronting a Pittsburgh group that has shown blazes areas of strength for of, Cincinnati should put Thursday’s misfortune behind them and spotlight on executing in the games ahead. With Andrew Abbott on the hill, the Reds will hope to exploit his experience and get back in the success segment as they fight through this basic stretch of the time.