Toronto Blue Jays vs Pittsburgh Pirates 5/7/2023 Picks Predictions

Toronto Blue Jays vs Pittsburgh Pirates 5/7/2023 Picks Predictions Previews

The Toronto Blue Jays will meet with the Pittsburgh Pirates in MLB action in PNC Park, PA, on Sunday, May 7, 2023, at 1:35 PM ET.

After being swept in four matches at Fenway Park to open the week and allowing 32 runs in the process, the Jays limped into Pittsburgh on Friday night.

They dropped five straight games overall, scoring over eight runs per contest during that span. After a good start from starter Chris Bassitt, the Blue Jays bounced back to defeat the Pirates in game one, 4-0.

The Jays defeated the Pirates for the second time in a row on Saturday, cruising to an 8-2 victory with four first-inning goals and three fourth-inning goals.

In the series finale on Sunday, the Jays will pitch against lefty Yusei Kikuchi. With a 4.02 ERA in six starts, Kikuchi is 4-0.

He has two quality starts this year and 33 hits surrendered in 31.1 innings pitched. Kikuchi has an 8.9 K/9 ratio and allowed eight home runs this season.

He made four starts on the road and is 2-0 with a 5.95 ERA. On the road, his K/9 rate decreases to just 5.9. This season, Kikuchi had a 49.5 hard-hit percentage, a career-best and significantly higher than the league average.

Additionally, his strikeout rate is at its lowest point in four seasons.

The total went OVER in 6 of Toronto’s last 7 matches.
The Toronto Blue Jays are 2-5 SU in their last 7 matches.
The Toronto Blue Jays are 7-0 SU in their last 7 matches against Pittsburgh.

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Toronto Blue Jays vs Pittsburgh Pirates Predictions 5/7/2023

After being swept in Tampa to start the week, the Pirates are currently going through their first rocky patch of the 2023 season.

The Pirates had a sluggish start to this series with a 4-0 loss in the opening game after only managing four hits, three of which were singles.

The Pirates were defeated 8-2 by the Jays in game two of Saturday’s doubleheader, marking their sixth consecutive loss.

The Pirates only mustered five hits while striking out 12 times as they were defeated after handing the Jays a 7-0 lead.

In the series’ penultimate game, the Pirates will pass the ball to righty Roansy Contreras. This season, Contreras made six starts and has a 4.09 ERA.

He has three solid starts under his belt thus far, with a 7.9 K/9 ratio. In three starts at home, Contreras is 2-1, with two of those starts being strong ones.

He has a 9.0 K/9 ratio and a 4.50 ERA at home. Contreras’ hard-hit rate is 36.5, which is much lower than his career average of 43.8%.

The Jays’ 11.9 walk percentage so far this season may make it difficult for him to keep them off the bases.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 0-6 SU in their last 6 matches.
The total went UNDER in 7 of Pittsburgh’s last 8 matches against Toronto.
The total went OVER in 4 of Pittsburgh’s last 5 matches at home.

Toronto Blue Jays vs Pittsburgh Pirates. The MLB pick for this game is the Pittsburgh Pirates. Although Kikuchi did not lose this year, his record is rather misleading given that he has a hard-hit percentage of around 50%.

Additionally, he allowed eight home runs this season, which is bad news at Pittsburgh’s hitter-friendly stadium. With two solid starts in his three home turns this season, Contreras performed better at home than on the road.

Additionally, this year, the Pirates are hitting .278 off of left-handed pitchers. The Pirates hit 12 home runs at home this season, and anticipate that number to rise on Sunday. The Pittsburgh Pirates will win to a predicted score of 6-3.

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