Pittsburgh Pirates (58-73) vs. Kansas City Royals (41-91)
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Kansas City Royals 8/29/2023 – The Pittsburgh Pirates were defeated 10-1 by the Chicago Cubs on Sunday, dropping their season record to 58-73. It was the Buccaneers’ fourth defeat in five games and their second straight loss. The Pirates only won one of their previous six series, and as of Monday morning, they were 11 games out of the final wild-card berth in the National League. In the last two weeks and 433 at-bats, the Bucs posted a dismal slash of .226/.327/.358 with 32 extra-base hits and only eight home homers. Their pitching staff also had trouble, recording 114 innings of play with a 4.97 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, and a .253 batting average against.
The Pirates series began with the 41-91 Kansas City Royals riding a three-game losing skid. The Royals were recently swept by the hot Seattle Mariners, who defeated them 25-9 over a three-game series in Seattle. Only two of the Royals’ past 12 games ended in victories for the struggling team. In the last two weeks and 436 at-bats, Kansas City hit .250/.298/.390 with 21 extra-base hits and 12 home runs. Through 111 innings of play over that time, the Royals’ pitching staff compiled a mediocre 5.76 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, and a .276 batting average against. According to the free expert MLB picks, this presents a challenging scenario for the Royals.
Pirates vs. Royals Game Info
| When: | Tuesday, August 29, 2023 8:10 PM ET. |
|---|---|
| Where: | Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium, MO |
| TV: | Bally Sports Kansas City |
| Stream: | MLB.TV |
Luis Ortiz (2-4, ERA: 5.37) vs Cole Ragans (5-4, ERA: 3.81)
Another alternative for the Pirates is Luis Ortiz, a 24-year-old righty who recently had a lot of difficulty. Over the course of his last three starts and 11.1 innings of work, Ortiz gave up 15 earned runs on 22 hits and 9 walks. In a 6-4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday, Ortiz was given the loss after throwing 3.1 innings and allowing five earned runs on seven hits and a staggering five walks. It was his first major league appearance in over a month.
Tuesday’s game is expected to feature left-hander Cole Ragans, 25, who pitched 59 innings for the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals. Ragans has a 5-4 record, a 3.66 ERA, a 1.27 WHIP, and a 71/24 K/BB ratio. With KC, Ragans will make his seventh start. The skilled southpaw pitched well over his last six appearances, going 3-1 with a sparkling 2.08 ERA, 1.80 FIP, and .599 opposition OPS. In a 4-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday, he struck out 11 batters over six shutout frames.
MLB Odds/Point Spread: Pittsburgh Pirates -132, Total Odds: 7.5
In 135 plate appearances against southpaws over the past ten days, the Pirates posted a .703 OPS and a wRC+ of 88. The Royals, on the other hand, struggled mightily against right-handed pitchers over that time, compiling a .594 OPS and a 55 wRC+ across 233 plate appearances. Cole Ragans, who has been exceptional since joining Kansas City, is a reason to back the Royals. However, placing a wager on this game seems like a coin toss. In the final few weeks of the 2023 season, neither team has anything to play for and is already looking ahead. Additionally, during the past ten days, both bullpens struggled (Pittsburgh 5.07 ERA and 3.41 FIP; Kansas City 4.54 ERA and 5.50 FIP).
Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends
The total went OVER in 4 of Pittsburgh’s last 6 matches. The Pittsburgh Pirates are 2-4 SU in their last 6 matches. The Pittsburgh Pirates are 2-6 SU in their last 8 matches against Kansas City. The total went UNDER in 6 of Pittsburgh’s last 9 matches on the road.
Kansas City Royals Betting Trends
The Kansas City Royals are 1-8 SU in their last 9 matches. The total went OVER in 5 of Kansas City’s last 7 matches against Pittsburgh. The Kansas City Royals are 1-5 SU in their last 6 matches at home. The Kansas City Royals are 7-1 SU in their last 8 matches when playing at home against Pittsburgh. The total went UNDER in 4 of Kansas City’s last 5 matches against an opponent in the National League.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Kansas City Royals 8/29/2023 Betting Picks
According to the premium sports picks, the Pittsburgh Pirates have a challenging record of 1-7 SU in their last 8 matches when playing on the road against Kansas City. The total went UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh’s last 6 matches against an opponent in the American League. Additionally, the total went UNDER in 4 of Kansas City’s last 5 matches against an opponent in the National League Central Division.
Free Pick and Prediction: Pittsburgh Pirates will win 5-1.