by James Q
Saturday, Aug 14, 2021Milwaukee Brewers Vs Pittsburgh Pirates Prediction, Odds and Preview - 08/15/2021
Game Time: 1:05 pm ET, Sunday, August 15th 2021
Venue: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Where to Watch: Bally Sports Wisconsin, ATT SportsNet-Pit
Season-to-Date Record:
Brewers: 70-46 (1st place, NL Central)
Pirates: 41-74 (last place, National League Central)
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks:
DraftKings: Moneyline odds: Brewers -210, Pittsburgh +175; Over/Under: 7.5 runs
Key Injuries:
Brewers: Avisail Garcia (hand) not in the line-up for Saturday’s doubleheader. He will be Questionable for Sunday’s (our game). He is the best Brewer player, but they most likely will not need him and won’t rush him back against the Pirates. Also out is Travis Shaw (shoulder).
Pirates: Anthony Alford (back) Day to Day, Oneil Cruz (forearm) Day to Day
Recent Lineups:
Brewers:
K. Wong, 2B
C. Yelich, LF
W. Adames, SS
E. Escobar, 3B
R. Tellez, 1B
T. Taylor, RF
J. Bradley Jr., CF
M. Pina, C
C. Yelich, LF
W. Adames, SS
E. Escobar, 3B
R. Tellez, 1B
T. Taylor, RF
J. Bradley Jr., CF
M. Pina, C
Pirates:
H. Park, LF
K. Hayes, 3B
B. Reynolds, CF
C. Moran, 1B
J. Stallings, C
R. Castro, 2B
G. Polanco, RF
K. Newman, SS
K. Hayes, 3B
B. Reynolds, CF
C. Moran, 1B
J. Stallings, C
R. Castro, 2B
G. Polanco, RF
K. Newman, SS
Statistical Leaders:
Brewers:
Batting Average: Avisail Garcia (.266)
Hits: Avisail Garcia (95)
Home Runs: Avisail Garcia (20)
RBI: Avisail Garcia (69)
Stolen Bases: Kolten Wong (8)
Wins: Brent Suter (11)
Saves: Josh Hader (22)
ERA: Brandon Woodruff (2.18)
Pirates:
Batting Average: Adam Frazier (.324)
Hits: Adam Frazier (125)
Home Runs: Bryan Reynolds (20)
RBI: Bryan Reynolds (67)
Stolen Bases: Gregory Polanco (13)
Wins: Tyler Anderson (5)
Saves: Richard Rodriguez (14)
ERA: Tyler Anderson (4.35)
Managers:
Brewers: Craig Counsell; Matt Arnold GM
Pirates: Derek Shelton; Ben Cherington GM
Recent Form:
The Milwaukee Brewers are 7-3 over their last ten games. Notching 4 Overs, 5 Unders, and 1 Push. They swept the Chicago Cubs in a four-game series. In the series finale vs the Cubs they scored 17 runs!! They went 1-2 against The San Francisco Giants, and beat these same Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 in a three-game series to begin the ten.
The Pirates are terrible. I’d almost prefer to check-out Steelers training camp, see how the defensive ends look this year. Yet here we go. The Pirates are 1-9 over their last ten games. They logged 5 Unders and 5 Overs. Interestingly the lone win that prevented a 10 game losing streak was against these same Milwaukee Brewers. They went 0-3 against the St. Louis Cardinals, 0-4 against the Cincinnati Reds, and 1-2 against the Brewers. The regular season has not been kind to the Pirates.
Statistical Comparison:
The Brewers are 26th in team batting average .233, 11th in runs scored 547, 11th in home runs 146. The lack of strength and power at the plate is why they won't go far in the postseason.
The Pirates are 24th in batting average .236 (this is the only offensive category they beat the Brewers in), 30th (dead last) in runs scored 424, 30th (dead last again) in home runs 92. They are the only major league team not in triple digits in home runs… and they are still 8 away!
The Brewers are pitching great, 3rd in team ERA 3.38, 1st in strikeouts 1171, and 3rd best in runs given up 439. The pitching is why Milwaukee has 70 wins with six weeks left to play.
The Pirates are 28th in team ERA 5.10, 24th in strikeouts 944, and 11th in home runs given up 149. They are playing the rest of this season to give call-ups and young guys experience and to make final decisions on guys that have hung around too long. Baseball isn’t like the NBA… the draft doesn’t have an immediate impact on next year…. But for next year’s sake hopefully the Pirates draft well.
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Brewers Vs Pirates
Game Preview:
These are two teams who are both technically in MLB baseball… yet they are not close in talent. You can’t describe this game as a clash. The Brewers could be missing their best player and won’t struggle for a minute. The Brewers have their eyes on the big boys this year like Dodgers, Braves, Phillies, even the San Diego Padres in case things break that way. The only way they worry about the Pirates is if they play them next April.
Neither team has listed a starting pitcher. This is 4 games in 3 days. A double header on Saturday could burn up both teams' starting rotation and bullpens… this will leave the Pirates in the lurch as they don’t have enough quality arms for 3 games, let alone 4, in a weekend.
Brewers vs Pirates Prediction: Our MLB Pick for Sunday August 15th game is Brewers 8 Pirates 1
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James Q
About the Author:
James Q. has been involved with sports and gambling his entire life. A former division 1 scholarship basketball player, James understands sports (and especially basketball) inside-and-out. Following his basketball playing days, James parlayed his gambling skills into a semi-pro poker career. James resides in Los Angeles, and especially loves the Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Rams, and Los Angeles Dodgers. And when he isn't betting on sports (and writing about it), James can be found performing stand-up comedy on the Sunset Strip.
