PREMIUM
Rogers' EARLY AFTERNOON ANNIHILATION
(MLB) Cincinnati vs. Pittsburgh,
Money Line: -141.00 Pittsburgh (Home)
Result: Win
Money Line: -141.00 Pittsburgh (Home)
Result: Win
The set-up: The Cincinnati Reds had 13 hits in the second of their four-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday, yet still lost by 11 runs, 14-3! Cincinnati had 16 baserunners Friday but it was unable to take advantage because it left 10 men on base and 12 of its 13 hits were singles. The two teams met again on Saturday, with the Pirates coming in a surprising 6-1 on the season, while the Reds sat at just 1-5. Last night's game had a different scenario, as Cincy turned its 11-hit attack into seven runs. Eugenio Suarez stepped up in a big way as his two-run single knotted the game in the sixth inning after Pittsburgh had jumped out to a 4-0 lead and his three-run HR in the eighth gave the Reds a 7-4 win. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh's offense bogged down after a four-run first, preventing the Pirates from moving to 7-1, which would have matched the club's best eight-game start since 1973.
The pitching matchup: Tyler Mahle (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will take the mound for the 2-5 Reds and the 6-2 Pirates will counter with Jameson Taillon (1-0, 3.38 ERA). Mahle is one of Cincinnati's top prospects and in his first start of 2018, he held the Chicago Cubs to one hit and two walks while striking out seven over six innings to get a 1-0 victory last Monday. Mahle went 0-1 despite a 2.45 ERA in two outings versus the Pirates last season (team was 0-2), accounting for half of his first four career starts prior to this season. Taillon also won his 2018 debut last Monday, yielding only two runs and four hits across 5 1/3 innings while tying a career high with nine strikeouts, as the Pirates beat the Twins 5-4. He was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 draft and will try to regain the form that allowed him to thrive at home as a rookie in 2016 (2-2, 2.86 ERA), before struggling iat PNC Park in 2017 (4-5, 5.03 ERA).
The pick: The Reds gave Taillon all sorts of trouble last season, as he was 0-2 with a 6.20 ERA in five starts against Cincinnati in 2017 (Pirates were 2-3). However, I doubt the Reds' bats can keep up what they've done the last two games, when they reached Pittsburgh pitchers for 13 and 11 hits, respectively. Cincy is eying consecutive wins for the first time this season on Sunday but let's remember, those Ciny bats produced a total of just 15 hits over their first five games, along with only runs 15 runs (3.0 per). Make Pittsburgh an 8* play.
The pitching matchup: Tyler Mahle (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will take the mound for the 2-5 Reds and the 6-2 Pirates will counter with Jameson Taillon (1-0, 3.38 ERA). Mahle is one of Cincinnati's top prospects and in his first start of 2018, he held the Chicago Cubs to one hit and two walks while striking out seven over six innings to get a 1-0 victory last Monday. Mahle went 0-1 despite a 2.45 ERA in two outings versus the Pirates last season (team was 0-2), accounting for half of his first four career starts prior to this season. Taillon also won his 2018 debut last Monday, yielding only two runs and four hits across 5 1/3 innings while tying a career high with nine strikeouts, as the Pirates beat the Twins 5-4. He was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 draft and will try to regain the form that allowed him to thrive at home as a rookie in 2016 (2-2, 2.86 ERA), before struggling iat PNC Park in 2017 (4-5, 5.03 ERA).
The pick: The Reds gave Taillon all sorts of trouble last season, as he was 0-2 with a 6.20 ERA in five starts against Cincinnati in 2017 (Pirates were 2-3). However, I doubt the Reds' bats can keep up what they've done the last two games, when they reached Pittsburgh pitchers for 13 and 11 hits, respectively. Cincy is eying consecutive wins for the first time this season on Sunday but let's remember, those Ciny bats produced a total of just 15 hits over their first five games, along with only runs 15 runs (3.0 per). Make Pittsburgh an 8* play.
