<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pirates-news-gm-not-sure-payroll-around-paul-skenes-next-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pirates GM not sure about payroll around Paul Skenes next season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Pirates-news-GM-not-sure-about-payroll-around-Paul-Skenes-next-season.jpg"></figure><h1>Pirates GM not sure about payroll around Paul Skenes next season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-03T04:30:07-07:00">October 3rd, 4:30am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-03T04:30:07-07:00">October 3rd, 4:30am</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a New Orleans Pelicans beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Pittsburg Pirates will not win the 2024 World Series but the franchise was the talk of the town for a few weeks this summer. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pirates-news-paul-skenes-perfect-admission-dominant-rookie-season">Pirates ace rookie Paul Skenes was sensational</a> after being promoted from the minors. Now seems the perfect time to build a winning roster around their superstar on a cheap rookie scale deal. It’s not a sure thing though going by GM Ben Cherington’s recent comments.</p><p>Skenes finished the season with an impressive 11-3 win-loss record, a 1.96 ERA, and a 0.95 WHIP. He was one of the best in the world once promoted to The Show, giving the Pirates over 133 innings pitched. He struck out 170 hitters over 23 starts while keeping opposing hitters off balance to the tune of a .198 batting average.</p><p>Still, Cherington admitted <a href="https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2024/10/02/derek-shelton-oneil-cruz-paul-skenes-andy-haines/stories/202409300100" rel="noopener">there is some uncertainty</a> when it comes to how much the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pirates-early-free-agent-targets-2024-mlb-offseason">Pirates will spend in free agency</a> to support the Cy Young candidate and reigning Rookie of the Year next season.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Baseball America's Rookie of the Year: Paul Skenes <a href="https://t.co/ZbqAKQGOZq">pic.twitter.com/ZbqAKQGOZq</a></p><p>— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pirates/status/1840800682233741484?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“I don’t know what the payroll is going to be next year,” Cherington admitted. “It has increased each year that I’ve been here. I expect that will be the case next year. I also know that it’s just not what’s going to drive winning here the most. That’s mostly because just simply of the structure of the game in a place like Pittsburgh to win. There are other places, there’s no place exactly like Pittsburgh, but there are other places that are similar and you look at how those teams win and (that’s) how we’re gonna win here.”</p><p>Cherington expects internal growth to factor into future success more than any outside free agency acquisitions.</p><p>“(Improving next season) is going to be through all those other things we were talking about,” the GM added. “It’s going to be because we are better at getting our players better. It’s going to be because we draft better…because we get more out of international. It’s going to be because I do a better job finding value in trades and adding wins to the team that way.”</p><p>“We can use payroll,” continued Cherington. “We can use free agency as a tool, and we will. It’ll be a component but it’s just not going to be how we drive winning here. It’s just not my primary focus, candidly. I don’t know what it’s going to be. I expect (payroll) will be higher. It has been higher each year I’m here. Thinking about it as we go into offseason planning meetings two weeks from now, it’s certainly not even on the radar, honestly. We’re thinking about all kinds of other things.”</p><h2><b>Pirates finally looking to add talent to compete</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Paul-Skenes-delivers-a-pitch.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Pirates GM is expected to have a bit more money to play around with but how much is the big question. Upgrading through incremental trades that slowly add salary and talent might be the best option. One big splashy move is too prone to becoming a flop, that’s why the Pirates have been hesitant in recent years.</p><p>Cherington cannot afford to stick to that status quo any longer, however. Good is no longer good enough. Not with Skenes slinging unhittable stuff for a full season. The GM’s job security is on thin ice despite a patient approach paying small dividends over the past two years.</p><p>“I think that to some extent, one of the things this year clarified for me relative to free agency to trades is that I think our approach to free agency the last two offseasons, and sort of the overall results we got from that, have been fine,” Cherington said. “If you look up the total, add up the total of these are all the free agents we signed, this is exactly what the total contribution we got was, it’s been fine. But fine’s not going to be good enough.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pirates GM not sure about payroll around Paul Skenes next season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pirates-news-blame-another-disappointing-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pirates GM takes blame after another disappointing season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Pirates-news-Pittsburgh-GM-takes-blame-after-another-disappointing-season.jpg"></figure><h1>Pirates GM takes blame after another disappointing season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-02T23:45:02-07:00">October 2nd, 11:45pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-02T23:45:02-07:00">October 2nd, 11:45pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a New Orleans Pelicans beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pirates-news-paul-skenes-notches-historic-mlb-strikeout-feat">Pittsburg Pirates had such potential.</a> Now they have nothing but blame to pass around following another disappointing season. General Manager Ben Cherington is taking his fair share but the <a href="https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2024/10/02/derek-shelton-oneil-cruz-paul-skenes-andy-haines/stories/202409300100" rel="noopener">organization is sending signals</a> on what they think went wrong with some staff changes.</p><p>“We need to get better, and we need to get better faster,” Cherington said, per Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.</p><p>“Ultimately, that falls on me. I’m responsible for all of baseball operations. If we’re talking about wins and losses, which is ultimately what we need to improve, that’s going to be driven in Pittsburgh, certainly in part, by improvement of players at the major league level, but also largely through continuing to be better at the draft and getting more out of our international scouting operation.”</p><p>As for what that looks like from a front-office roster-building perspective? The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pirates-early-free-agent-targets-2024-mlb-offseason">Pirates already have a list of free-agent targets.</a> Cherington wants to squeeze more out of what is already available, however.</p><p>“Getting more out of trades, getting more out of minor league player development. All of that matters, absolutely, and ultimately, I’m responsible for all of that. We weren’t good enough…Ultimately, again, that’s on me. I’ve got to find a way to be better and build the roster into a better spot.”</p><h2><b>Pirates already making changes before free agency</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Pirates-huddle-for-a-group-chat-on-the-mound.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK</figcaption></figure><p>Finding scapegoats is sometimes difficult internally but figuring out who the organization blames is easy for those outside of the building. The Pirates axed hitting coach Andy Haines and bullpen coach Justin Meccage already. There have also been some front-office signings to kickstart the winter off-season revamp. Pirates’ free agency moves are yet to be determined.</p><p>“To some extent, what we need to do, what I believe we need to do, is develop just more cohesion, tighter alignment, tighter connection inside our major league group so that work that goes toward getting players better faster is happening better and faster all the time,” Cherington said. “It’s not that we can’t do it. We have examples that we are doing that. Believe that we need to do it better and faster all the time. Ultimately felt like some changes were necessary to help us do that.”</p><p>Cherinton did confirm that skipper Derek Shelton will be back in the dugout to start next season.</p><p>“I believe he can help lead us toward winning in 2025,” Cherington said. “I believe he already does a lot of the aspects of the job very well and at a high level. I believe he works as hard as any manager in the game, and I certainly believe he cares as much as any manager in the game. Like all of us, certainly including me, he has targets that he needs to improve on, and I believe he is fully aware of those. I believe he’s committed to working on those, and I believe he understands the team needs to ultimately respond to him and we’ll go into 2025 together, accountable together.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pirates GM takes blame after another disappointing season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/worst-mlb-teams-history-white-sox-record-breaking-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Worst MLB teams in history after White Sox’s record-breaking season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Worst-MLB-teams-in-history-after-White-Sox-record-breaking-season.jpeg"></figure><h1>Worst MLB teams in history after White Sox’s record-breaking season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-29T17:34:31-07:00">September 29th, 5:34pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-29T17:36:01-07:00">September 29th, 5:36pm</time><address><a>Bailey Bassett</a>Bailey Bassett is a sports writer from Denver, Colorado, covering major sports events and athlete backgrounds at ClutchPoints. He has experience covering and writing on high school, collegiate, and professional sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It is official, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/white-sox-news-garrett-crochet-stern-message-fans-rooting-against-them-amid-mlb-record">Chicago White Sox are statistically the worst team in modern MLB history</a>. The White Sox procrastinated the inevitable with a mini-winning streak at the end of their season, but they officially set the record for the most losses in a season in the modern era, which dates back to 1901. The team finished the 2024 season with a 41-121 record.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/white-sox-news-tommy-pham-quote-highlights-embarrassing-fact-about-chicago">White Sox embarrassed their fanbase</a> all season long. Chicago wasn’t the only team in the modern era to put up a jaw-droppingly bad record, though.</p><p>In this article, we are going to look at the 10 MLB teams with the most losses in a single season in MLB history since 1901. We had to go back over a century to find teams whose records compared to Chicago’s this year, but no one during that time ever had more losses than the White Sox did in 2024.</p><h2><b>1. 2024 Chicago White Sox (41-121)</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Luis-Robert-and-Andrew-Benintendi.jpeg"><figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The White Sox finished their season out strong, winning five of their last six games. It prevented them from finishing with a record much worse than the second-worst team ever, but it wasn’t enough to avoid the title.</p><p>It was not long ago that the White Sox were looked at as one of the rising teams in the MLB. Their talent couldn’t stay healthy, though, and Chicago was forced to embrace a full blown rebuild. That rebuild saw the departures of a number of big names through the trade market. Notably, Eloy Jimenez, Dylan Cease, Erick Fedde, Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, Lance Lynn, Joe Kelly, Jake Burger, and many more were traded over the last year or so.</p><p>Because of that, a lot of losses were expected coming into the year, but no one could have guessed the White Sox would drop 121 games. Players such as Luis Robert and Garrett Crochet are considered some of the best players in baseball, yet the White Sox couldn’t score more runs than opposing teams all season.</p><p>Their 121-loss season goes down in the record books, and it could take decades until it is ever broken. There isn’t a lot of hope for the future, either. While the White Sox shouldn’t lose this many games next year, it is possible their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-phillies-linked-garrett-crochet-trade-white-sox-contract-comments">fire sale continues</a> and their roster outlook is even more bleak next season.</p><h2><b>2. 1962 New York Mets (40-120)</b></h2><p>Being an expansion team in MLB is never easy. Expansion teams often don’t have the talent on their roster to compete with the rest of the league, and that was evident in the Mets’ first season. Prior to the White Sox’s 2024 failure, the Mets held the record for the most losses in the modern era in their very first season.</p><p>The rotation was the Mets’ biggest problem area. New York’s starting pitchers combined for only 23 wins all season long. Pitching was far from the Mets’ only issue, though. Not only was their ERA the worst in baseball, but so was their batting average and their fielding percentage, meaning the Mets were pathetic at all aspects of baseball in 1962.</p><p>New York would continue to struggle over the coming years. They won 51, 53, and 50 games in the next three seasons, respectively. The team did eventually break out and win the World Series in 1969, though, but they’ve largely struggled for the most part ever since the poor start to their franchise’s existence.</p><h2><b>3. 2003 Detroit Tigers (43-119)</b></h2><p>After there being no 115-plus loss seasons in MLB since the ’60s, the 2003 Tigers went out and lost 119 games. That stood as the most losses in American League history until the 2024 White Sox dropped 121 games. Detroit had a -337 run differential over the course of the season.</p><p>The team’s batting average was only .240, and they were equally as bad throwing the baseball, as the team’s ERA was 5.30. The team started out the season with a 1-17 record. By winning five of their last six games, the Tigers actually saved themselves from ranking even worse on this list. Despite the disastrous campaign, the Tigers would bounce back and make the World Series only three years later.</p><h2><b>4. 1916 Philadelphia Athletics (36-117)</b></h2><p>While they only have the fourth-most losses in MLB history, the Philadelphia Athletics actually hold the record for worst winning percentage ever (since 1901). In 1916, they finished the year with a winning percentage of .235, meaning this season was arguably even worse than the White Sox’s most recent campaign.</p><p>Amazingly, this horrendous season occurred only three years after the Athletics had won their third championship in a four year span. They even made the World Series as recently as 1914. The sudden collapse of a true dynasty was due to the team being forced to let their best players go, either via trade or release. Winning led to the team being unable to pay all of their star talent, so they focused their eyes on the future.</p><p>Even after the frustrating year, manager Connie Mack’s job was never in doubt. Mack ended up managing the team until 1951, and he even won two more World Series.</p><h2><b>5. 1935 Boston Braves (38-115)</b></h2><p>Babe Ruth is known for his winning ways, but when he was the vice president and assistant manager of the Boston Braves in 1935, his team didn’t do a lot of winning. Ruth is one of the first examples in sports of a legendary player not finding the same levels of success as a coach/front office member.</p><p>Ruth was also a player on this team. At age 40, Ruth played his first season outside of the Boston Red Sox/New York Yankees organizations, but he was a shell of his former self. Ruth was so bad that some of his teammates threatened to go on strike if he was in the team’s lineup. Ruth did muster up a three home run game in one of his last few games, but he retired early into the season. Even without him, the Braves still struggled.</p><p>Ben Cantwell became the last pitcher in the 21st century to lose at least 25 games in a season, and the Braves ended the year with 115 losses.</p><h2><b>6. 2018 Baltimore Orioles (47-115)</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Chris-Davis.jpeg"><figcaption>Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>There is hope for the White Sox because years of lots of losing by the Baltimore Orioles not so long ago led to them orchestrating an incredible rebuild. Now, Baltimore is one of the best teams in baseball. Back in 2018, they were really bad. Before acquiring a talented young roster and building an exciting farm system, the Orioles had to lose in order to get such high draft picks and prestigious prospects.</p><p>The worst of their losing came in 2018 when the team dropped 115 games. They were 60 games behind their division rival Boston Red Sox, which was the biggest games back deficit since 1935. The team couldn’t find success against anybody, as they had a losing record against every single American League team.</p><p>Until the White Sox surpassed them this year, the Orioles held the record for quickest time being eliminated from playoff contention in the divisional era (since 1969). Chris Davis was the headliner of their struggles. His home run prowess resulted in a seven-year, $161 million deal, but the power hitter saw major regression after putting pen to paper. In what was just his third year under the new deal, Davis batted .168 and had a -2.7 WAR. It was the worst WAR by any player since the 2011 season.</p><p>The Orioles’ disastrous season was necessary in pushing the team in a different direction. Tanking isn’t as common in MLB as it is in the NBA, but this was the closest we’ve seen to it in recent memory in baseball. It worked out for Baltimore, too. The Orioles have had <a href="https://www.masnsports.com/blog/an-oriole-three-peat-three-years-three-different-no-1-ranked-prospects" rel="noopener">three different prospects</a> be ranked as the number one prospect in baseball since this season, and they should now contend for World Series titles for the next decade or so.</p><h2><b>7. 2019 Detroit Tigers (47-114)</b></h2><p>A year after the Orioles had a disastrous season, the Tigers had one nearly as bad. Detroit also only won 47 games, but they had one fewer loss than Baltimore did the year prior. This is because the Tigers only played 161 games, as a late-season rainout was never rescheduled due to the Tigers and their opponent, the White Sox, missing the playoffs.</p><p>If it wasn’t for that rainout, the Tigers could have tied the Orioles’ record from the year prior. Detroit’s season actually started off well. They won seven of their first 11 games before losing 111 of 151 to follow. Detroit particularly struggled at home. Their 59 home losses were tied for the most in the modern era.</p><p>Like the Orioles, the Tigers’ poor play led to some good draft picks, and now they are back in the playoffs. The 2024 postseason will be the Tigers’ first time playing after the regular season since 2014.</p><p>The Tigers’ horrendous 2019 season makes them the only team to appear twice on this list of the 10 worst seasons in MLB history. Additionally, with three of the worst 10 teams ever being within the last decade, the likelihood of teams being historically bad is proving to be higher than ever before. The way rosters are constructed and the way the game is played these days has contributed to that.</p><h2><b>8. 1904 Washington Senators (38-113)</b></h2><p>While there have been some new school teams who have struggled mightily, the Washington Senators team from 1904 is the oldest team to qualify as one of the worst in the modern era, as their 38-113 season was just a few years after the modern era began.</p><p>The Senators’ season was doomed to fail from the start, as they started off 0-13-1 before collecting their first win. The Boston Americans gave Washington the most problems, as the Senators went 2-20 against that team in 1904.</p><p>The Senators’ season was so disappointing that the biggest crowd after the team’s Opening Day game was <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/05/01/worst-washington-baseball-team-ever/" rel="noopener">against an amateur team</a>, as many showed up in belief that the amateurs would beat the professionals. That didn’t end up being the case, as the Senators proved that there are levels to sports with a 17-0 win.</p><h2><b>9. 1952 Pittsburgh Pirates (42-112)</b></h2><p>Prior to the modern era, high-loss seasons were relatively common. The Pittsburgh baseball team that went by the nickname the Alleghenys in 1890 lost 113 games, but that season doesn’t count for this list, as we are only looking at teams from 1901 and onward. Still, the 1952 baseball season in Pittsburgh was pretty bad, too.</p><p>The Pirates went 42-112 that year. Their struggles were largely predictable, as the team was filled with young and inexperienced players. Thirteen rookies made the Opening Day roster, four of which were teenagers. The team won two games in a row at the start of the year, but they then lost 16 of 17 and never had a winning streak greater than two again.</p><p>This youth movement was coined “Operation Peach Fuzz.” Seven of the eight youngest players in the National League were on the Pirates’ roster, and it led to a lot of growing pains.</p><h2><b>10. 1939 St. Louis Browns (43-111)</b></h2><p>Pitching was the detriment of the 1939 St. Louis Browns. The team had an ERA of 6.01, and another team wouldn’t have an ERA over 6.0 again until 1996. The Browns also walked 739 batters, which was over 100 more than the next worst pitching team in baseball.</p><p>Each of the nine pitchers with the most innings on the team had ERAs above 5.0. The team actually didn’t have a horrible year with the bats. George McQuinn, for example, batted .316 with 20 homers. It wasn’t enough to overcome the pitching woes that plagued the team in both the starting rotation and the bullpen, though, and St. Louis ended up with 111 losses.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Worst MLB teams in history after White Sox’s record-breaking season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pirates-vs-yankees-prediction-odds-pick-9-29-2024');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pirates vs. Yankees prediction, odds, pick – 9/29/2024');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Pirates-vs.-Yankees-prediction-odds-pick-1.jpg"></figure><h1>Pirates vs. Yankees prediction, odds, pick – 9/29/2024</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-28T15:55:48-07:00">September 28th, 3:55pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-28T15:55:48-07:00">September 28th, 3:55pm</time><address><a>Garrett Kerman</a>Garrett Kerman also goes by the name of The Fight Analyst. He covers all combat sports, from MMA, to boxing, to even bare-knuckle. He is also very well-versed in all American sports when it comes to news and betting analysis. Whether you want betting advice or some breaking news, Garrett is your guy.2024 YTD Record |NBA: 55-41 |NCAAB: 6-8 |MMA: 74-30 |Overall: 135-79</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Bailey Falter will take the mound for the Pirates in their season finale against the Yankees on Sunday. It’s time to continue our MLB odds <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting" rel="noopener">series</a> with a Pirates-Yankees prediction and pick.</p><h2><b>Pirates-Yankees Projected Starters </b></h2><p><b>Bailey Falter </b>vs. <b><b>Clarke Schmidt</b></b></p><p><b>Bailey Falter </b>(8-9) with a 4.26 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP</p><p>Last Start: Bailey Falter took the loss Tuesday against Milwaukee, allowing four runs on five hits and a walk over five innings. He struck out five.</p><p>2024 Road Splits: Bailey Falter has been worse on the road than at home where he is 3-5 record with a 4.59 ERA and 1.28 WHIP.</p><p><b>Clarke Schmidt </b>(5-5) with a 2.55 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP</p><p>Last Start: Clarke Schmidt took the loss Tuesday against the Orioles, pitching 5.1 innings while allowing three runs on four hits and one walk. He struck out seven.</p><p>2024 Home Splits: Clarke Schmidt has surprisingly been worse at home than on the road where he is 2-2 with a 4.00 ERA and 1.19 WHIP</p><p><b><i>Here are the <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/mlb" rel="noopener">MLB Odds</a>, courtesy of FanDuel. </i></b></p><h2><b>MLB Odds: Pirates-Yankees Odds</b></h2><p>Pittsburgh Pirates: +1.5 (-118)</p><p>Moneyline: +184</p><p>New York Yankees: -1.5 (-102)</p><p>Moneyline: -220</p><p>Over: 8 (-115)</p><p>Under: 8 (-105)</p><h2><b>How to Watch Pirates vs. Yankees </b></h2><p>Time: 3:05 PM ET/12:05 PM PT</p><p>TV: AT&amp;T SportsNet Pittsburgh, YES Network, MLB Extra Innings</p><p>Stream: fuboTV (<a href="https://www.fubo.tv/stream/mlb/?irad=377812&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener sponsored">Free Trial</a>)</p><h2><b>Why The Pirates Will Cover The Spread/Win</b></h2><p>As the 2024 MLB season draws to a close, the Pittsburgh Pirates find themselves in a position to play spoiler against the New York Yankees in Sunday’s season finale. Despite the Yankees’ home-field advantage, there are compelling reasons to believe that Bailey Falter and the Pirates will emerge victorious against Clarke Schmidt and the Bronx Bombers.</p><p>Bailey Falter has been a revelation for the Pirates in the latter part of the season. The left-hander has shown remarkable improvement in his command and pitch mix, leading to a string of quality starts in September. His ability to keep hitters off-balance with a deceptive changeup and a well-located fastball has been particularly effective against right-handed heavy lineups like the Yankees.</p><p>Clarke Schmidt, while talented, has struggled with consistency throughout the season, especially at home. His tendency to give up home runs could be exploited by the Pirates’ power hitters, particularly Bryan Reynolds, who has shown a knack for delivering in crucial moments.</p><p>For the Pirates, this game represents a chance to end their season on a high note. With nothing to lose, they’re likely to play with a level of freedom and aggression that could catch the Yankees off guard. The psychological edge of being the underdog often translates to inspired performances in baseball.</p><p>The combination of Falter’s recent form, the Yankees’ potential offensive letdown, Schmidt’s vulnerabilities, and the Pirates’ motivation to finish strong creates a perfect storm for an upset. Don’t be surprised if Pittsburgh caps off their season with a statement win in the Bronx.</p><h2><b>Why The Yankees Will Cover The Spread/Win</b></h2><p>As the 2024 MLB season comes to a close, the New York Yankees are poised to end on a high note against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Sunday’s finale at Yankee Stadium. Clarke Schmidt takes the mound for the Bronx Bombers, and there are compelling reasons to believe he and the Yankees will secure a victory over Bailey Falter and the Pirates.</p><p>Despite resting some key players in recent games, the Yankees still possess one of the most potent offenses in baseball. Aaron Judge, who leads the league with 58 home runs, is expected to return to the lineup after a day off. Judge’s presence alone can change the game, as he’s batting an impressive .329 against right-handed pitchers and .335 at Yankee Stadium this season.</p><p>The Pirates have been struggling offensively, especially on the road. They’ve averaged fewer than four runs per game away from home and have scored more than four runs only once in their last eight games. This lack of run production plays right into the hands of Schmidt and the Yankees’ bullpen.</p><p>With the Yankees still in contention for the top seed in the American League, they have extra motivation to secure a win. Home-field advantage throughout the playoffs is a significant prize, and the team is likely to play with increased intensity to achieve this goal.</p><p>The combination of Schmidt’s home field success, the Yankees’ powerful offense led by Aaron Judge, Pittsburgh’s offensive woes, and New York’s postseason aspirations make a compelling case for a Yankees victory in the season finale.</p><h2><b>Final Pirates</b><b>-Yankees Prediction &amp; Pick</b></h2><p>In this season finale matchup, expect a closely contested game between the Yankees and Pirates. Clarke Schmidt’s home field advantage will be a key factor, but Bailey Falter’s recent improvements shouldn’t be overlooked. The Yankees’ offensive firepower, led by Aaron Judge, will likely prove too much for the Pirates to handle, especially given Pittsburgh’s struggles on the road. However, the Pirates’ motivation to end their season on a high note could lead to some surprising moments. Ultimately, the Yankees’ playoff aspirations and home crowd support should propel them to a narrow victory.</p><p><b>Final Pirates-Yankees Prediction &amp; Pick: New York Yankees ML (-220), Under 8 (-105)</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pirates vs. Yankees prediction, odds, pick – 9/29/2024

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pirates-vs-yankees-prediction-odds-pick-9-28-2024');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pirates vs. Yankees prediction, odds, pick – 9/28/2024');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Pirates-vs.-Yankees-prediction-odds-pick-1.jpg"></figure><h1>Pirates vs. Yankees prediction, odds, pick – 9/28/2024</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-28T08:54:08-07:00">September 28th, 8:54am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-28T08:54:08-07:00">September 28th, 8:54am</time><address><a>Bryan Logan</a>Bryan Logan decided to jump into his passion for Sports Betting in 2022 after spending years in the world of education. With a love for analytics and all sports, he began working on models for daily sports picks. This led him to ClutchPoints in 2023, where he is a part of the betting editorial team.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Paul Skenes heads to the mound for his last start as the Pittsburgh Pirates face the New York Yankees. It’s time to continue our MLB odds <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting" rel="noopener">series</a> with a Pirates-Yankees prediction and pick.</p><h2><b>Pirates-Yankees Projected Starters </b></h2><p><b>Paul Skenes</b> vs. <b>Luis Gil</b></p><p><b>Paul Skenes</b> (11-3) with a 1.99 ERA and a 0.96 ERA</p><p>Last Start: Skenes went five innings in his last start, giving up two hits and striking out nine. He would take the win over the Reds.</p><p>2024 Road Splits: Skenes is 5-2 in 10 starts on the road with a 1.37 ERA and a .170 opponent batting average.</p><p><b>Luis Gil</b> (15-6) with a 3.27 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP</p><p>Last Start: Gil went 5.1 innings, giving up five hits and three walks. He would allow four runs in a win over the Athletics.</p><p>2024 Home Splits: Gil is 6-3 at home this year in 14 starts. He has a 3.09 ERA and a .177 opponent batting average.</p><p><b><i>Here are the <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/mlb" rel="noopener">MLB Odds</a>, courtesy of FanDuel. </i></b></p><h2><b>MLB Odds: Pirates-Yankees Odds</b></h2><p>Pittsburgh Pirates: +1.5 (-200)</p><p>Moneyline: +114</p><p>New York Yankees: -1.5 (+146)</p><p>Moneyline: -134</p><p>Over: 7 (-105)</p><p>Under: 7 (-115)</p><h2><b>How to Watch Pirates vs. Yankees</b></h2><p>Time: 1:05 PM ET/ 10:05 AM PT</p><p>TV: YES/SNP</p><p>Stream: fuboTV (<a href="https://www.fubo.tv/stream/mlb/?irad=377812&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener sponsored">Free Trial</a>)</p><h2><b>Why The Pirates Will Cover The Spread/Win</b></h2><p>The Pirates are 24th in the major in runs scored, while sitting 23rd in batting average, 27th in on-base percentage, and 28th in slugging percentage. Bryan Reynolds has been the top bat this year. He is hitting .275 on the year with a .342 on-base percentage. He has 22 home runs, 85 RBIs, and 70 runs scored. Oneil Cruz is also having a solid year. He is hitting .263 this year with a .325 on-base percentage. He has 21 home runs, 76 RBIs, 22 stolen bases, and 71 runs scored. Andrew McCutchen rounds out the top bats in the last week. He is hitting .234 this year with a .331 on-base percentage. He has 20 home runs, 50 RBIs, and 66 runs scored.</p><p>Bryan De La Cruz has led the way in the last week. He is hitting .267 in the last week with a home run, two RBIs, and two runs scored in the last week. meanwhile, Joey Bart is hitting well. He is hitting .333 in the last week with an RBI and a run scored. The Pirates are hitting just .209 in the last week with five home runs and 12 runs scored in six games.</p><p>Only two members of the Pirates have at-bats against Luis Gil. Isiah Kiner-Falefa is 0-3 with a walk and a home run. Meanwhile, Yasmani Grandal is 0-1 with a walk.</p><h2><b>Why The Yankees Will Cover The Spread/Win</b></h2><p>The Yankees are third in the majors in runs scored this year while sitting eighth in batting average, second in on-base percentage, and fourth in slugging. Aaron Judge has been amazing this year. He is hitting .325 on the year with a .461 on-base percentage. Judge has 58 home runs this year, helping to his 144 RBIs. Further, he has scored 122 times this year. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/yankees-news-the-reason-juan-soto-scratched-vs-athletics">Juan Soto is also</a> having a great year. He is hitting .288 on the year with a .418 on-base percentage. He has 41 home runs and 108 RBIs this year, scoring 128 times. Anthony Volpe is also having a solid season. Volpe is hitting .246 on the year with a .294 on-base percentage. He has 12 home runs and 59 RBIs. Further, he has stolen 27 bases and scored 90 times this season.</p><p>Aaron Judge continues to hit well. In the last week, he is hitting .444 with a .615 on-base percentage. He has five home runs, eight RBIs, and eight runs scored. Meanwhile, Giancarlo Stanton is also hitting well. He is hitting .318 in the last week with a .423 on-base percentage. He has two home runs, eight RBIs, and five runs scored. Finally, Juan Soto is hitting .318 in the last week with a home run, eight RBIs, and eight runs scored in the last week. The Yankees are hitting .268 in the last week with 12 home runs and 41 runs scored in the last week.</p><h2><b>Final Pirates-Yankees Prediction &amp; Pick</b></h2><p>Paul Skenes has been great as of late. In his last seven starts, he has three starts in which he did not give up a run. Further, he has given up two or fewer runs in each of the last seven starts. Further, the Pirates are 5-2 in those seven games. Meanwhile, Luis Gil has given up six runs in his last four starts over 21.1 innings. Further, the Yankees are 4-0 in those four starts. The Pirates are scoring just two runs per game in the last week.  The Yankees may struggle early against Paul Skenes, but they should be able to score against the bullpen. With the Yankees scoring almost seven runs per game as of late, take the Yankees to get the win.</p><p><b>Final Pirates-Yankees Prediction &amp; Pick: Yankees ML (-134)</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pirates vs. Yankees prediction, odds, pick – 9/28/2024

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pirates-vs-yankees-prediction-odds-pick-9-27-2024');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pirates vs. Yankees prediction, odds, pick – 9/27/2024');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Pirates-vs.-Yankees-prediction-odds-pick.jpg"></figure><h1>Pirates vs. Yankees prediction, odds, pick – 9/27/2024</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-27T08:02:32-07:00">September 27th, 8:02am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-27T08:02:32-07:00">September 27th, 8:02am</time><address><a>Cameron Zunkel</a>Cameron Zunkel is a former college athlete for the University of Illinois, Springfield. During that time, he earned his masters degree in Communication. After graduating in 2022, Cameron signed to play independent professional baseball with the Joliet Slammers, but his time was cut short due to injury. Nonetheless, his love for baseball and all sports never faded.Cameron loves the sports media and sports journalism side of things and does some light writing for a Chicago Cubs blog, as well. To go along with that, he loves sports betting and fantasy sports. He also loves digging on the research and creating content for both sports betting and fantasy sports!</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Pittsburgh Pirates are on the road to take on the New York Yankees on Friday night. Below we will continue our MLB odds <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting" rel="noopener">series</a> as we hand out a Pirates-Yankees prediction and pick. We will also let you know how to watch the game.</p><h2><b>Pirates-Yankees Projected Starters </b></h2><p><b>Jared Jones</b> vs. <b>Carlos Rodon</b></p><p><b>Jared Jones</b> (6-8) with a 4.14 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 117.1 innings pitched, 125K/37BB, .231 oBA</p><p>Last Start: at Cincinnati Reds: Loss, 5 innings, 6 hits, 3 runs, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts</p><p>2024 Road Splits: 9 starts, 5.96 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 48.1 innings pitched, 52K/13BB, .250 oBA</p><p><b>Carlos Rodon</b> (16-9) with a 3.98 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 169.2 innings pitched, 190K/53BB, .235 oBA</p><p>Last Start: at Oakland Athletics: Win, 6 innings, 5 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts</p><p>2024 Home Splits: 13 starts, 3.09 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 75.2 innings pitched, 86K/23BB, .202 oBA</p><p><b><i>Here are the <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/mlb" rel="noopener">MLB Odds</a>, courtesy of FanDuel. </i></b></p><h2><b>MLB Odds: Pirates-Yankees Odds</b></h2><p>Pittsburgh Pirates: +1.5 (-150)</p><p>Moneyline: +136</p><p>New York Yankees: -1.5 (+125)</p><p>Moneyline: -162</p><p>Over: 7.5 (-120)</p><p>Under: 7.5 (-102)</p><h2><b>How to Watch Pirates vs. Yankees</b></h2><p>Time: 7:05 PM ET/4:05 PM PT</p><p>TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh, YES Network</p><p>Stream: fuboTV (<a href="https://www.fubo.tv/stream/mlb/?irad=377812&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener sponsored">Free Trial</a>)</p><h2><b>Why The Pirates Will Cover The Spread/Win</b></h2><p>The Pirates need to hit the ball well. Jared Jones is not finishing the season well, so the Pirates have to hit the ball to win this game. The good news is the Pirates are a better team against left-handed pitching. They hit for a higher average, a higher slugging percentage, and they are just overall better. Facing Rodon will not be easy for the Pirates, but with him being a left-hander, the Pirates have a great chance to do some damage.</p><p>Keeping the Yankees lineup in check is going to be huge. Yes, Jones is not throwing the ball well, but he has a lot of talent. Jones throws the ball hard, and his offspeed is actually good. He is in the 84th percentile in whiff percentage, and 72nd percentile in chase percentage. If opposing teams are not careful, Jones is the type of pitcher to strike out 10+ batters. If he is at his best in this game, which is his final start of 2024, the Pirates will win.</p><h2><b>Why The Yankees Will Cover The Spread/Win</b></h2><p>The Yankees have a dangerous lineup, and that is going to be evident in this game. With Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, and the rest of the guys, the Yankees are going to put up runs in this game. New York is a top team in slugging percentage, and their outs are loud. Jared Jones has been really struggling since returning to the mound, so the Yankees have a good matchup. If New York can continue to hit the ball well, they will lock up the top seed in the AL.</p><p>Carlos Rodon is the pitcher the Yankees hoped he would be when signing him. He is pitching well this season, and his September is very solid. This month, Rodon has made four starts. In those starts, Rodon has thrown 23.1 innings, struck out 29, walked 6, allowed just 17 hits, and he has a 1.93 ERA. The Pirates are not a good hitting team, so Rodon should be able to shut down Pittsburgh in this game.</p><h2><b>Final Pirates-Yankees Prediction &amp; Pick</b></h2><p>This is a good pitching matchup, but Carlos Rodon has just been the better pitcher. He is hot at the right time, and the Yankees need him to continue that. I will be taking the Yankees to not only win this game but cover the spread, as well.</p><p><b>Final Pirates-Yankees Prediction &amp; Pick: Yankees -1.5 (+125)</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pirates vs. Yankees prediction, odds, pick – 9/27/2024

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pirates-news-paul-skenes-perfect-admission-dominant-rookie-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pirates ace Paul Skenes makes ‘perfect’ admission about dominant rookie season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Pirates-news-Paul-Skenes-makes-perfect-admission-about-dominant-rookie-season.jpg"></figure><h1>Pirates ace Paul Skenes makes ‘perfect’ admission about dominant rookie season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-26T07:25:27-07:00">September 26th, 7:25am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-26T07:25:27-07:00">September 26th, 7:25am</time><address><a>Andrew Meyers</a>Andrew Meyers is an avid sports fan with a fondness for Philadelphia teams that rarely love him back. He has two degrees from Quinnipiac University, including a master's in sports journalism. Outside of ClutchPoints, Meyers does play-by-play broadcasting for various colleges in the northeast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>One of the most incredible rookie seasons for a pitcher in Major League Baseball history is soon ending. Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes will make his final start of the 2024 season this weekend at Yankee Stadium, a chance to showcase his otherworldly talent one last time this year against one of the best teams in baseball.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pirates-news-paul-skenes-notches-historic-mlb-strikeout-feat">This historic season</a> didn’t start how Skenes wanted. He thought he did enough to earn a spot on the Pirates’ Opening Day roster. He started the year in Triple-A instead, making his MLB debut in mid-May after logging 34 total innings in the minors upon being drafted in July 2023.</p><p>Reflecting on the franchise’s decision to keep him down for the first month of the season, Skenes said it was the <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/41443457/paul-skenes-says-pirates-made-right-call-bringing-slowly" rel="noopener">right move</a>.</p><p>“I don’t know if there can be a perfect plan, but it was just about perfectly put together,” Skenes said, per the Associated Press.</p><p>The Pirates strategically dropped in extra rest days for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pirates-news-paul-skenes-breaks-franchise-record-stood-nearly-90-years">Skenes as he carved his way</a> through major league hitters. He didn’t make a single start on less than five days rest. Regardless of whether that was the reason that kept Skenes fresh, it certainly didn’t hurt his progress.</p><p>He hopes the training wheels will fully come off next year and he can do what he does best with little to no restrictions.</p><p>“Next year, it’s hopefully just going to be ‘take the ball and pitch,'” Skenes said. “So I’m looking forward to that.”</p><p>Skenes enters his 23rd and final start of his rookie season with an 11-3 record, 1.99 ERA and 0.96 WHIP. He has 167 strikeouts in 131 innings with 15 quality starts.</p><h2><b>Skenes ready for full starter’s load in 2025</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Paul-Skenes-Pirates.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Greene / The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK</figcaption></figure><p>Unlike this season, Paul Skenes should get maximum opportunities to take the mound for the Pirates in 2025. He’ll undoubtedly be Pittsburgh’s Opening Day starter and could be in line for 30 starts.</p><p>While Skenes expects to be able to loosen up a bit more, he understands the Pirates will still want to be cautious with his workload. He and the organization seem to have a great understanding of one another. Skenes knows his role and he’s excited about getting more time on the mound.</p><p>“That’s why I’m here, I’m here to pitch,” he said. “So I want to pitch as much as I can. If you shorten the rest period, you can pitch more as the season goes on. I’m looking forward to that. That’s not something that’s going to be a complete 180 next year from how it is this year, but there are going to be a bit fewer restrictions on me.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/what-paul-skenes-must-do-beat-jackson-merrill-2024-nl-roy-award">Skenes’ rookie season</a> will end just shy of 140 MLB innings. Maybe that number won’t get to 200 next year, but it’s in the best interest of all parties to see Skenes’ innings increase in 2025.</p><p>That may be dependent on how the Pirates play as a team. Pittsburgh faltered in the second half after flirting with a playoff spot around the All-Star break. That might have factored into the franchise’s decision to pull Skenes before he reached 90 pitches in three of his last six starts. He allowed two earned runs across 16 innings in those starts.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pirates-news-paul-skenes-mlb-history-heartbreaking-first-loss">Paul Skenes is exactly what the Pirates</a> thought he’d be, probably even more. His best is yet to come and baseball in Pittsburgh is becoming much more enjoyable with a flamethrowing ace at the center of it.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pirates ace Paul Skenes makes ‘perfect’ admission about dominant rookie season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/brewers-vs-pirates-prediction-odds-pick-9-26-2024');   ga('set', 'title', 'Brewers vs. Pirates prediction, odds, pick  – 9/26/2024');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Brewers-vsPirates-prediction-odds-pick.jpg"></figure><h1>Brewers vs. Pirates prediction, odds, pick  – 9/26/2024</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-26T04:47:55-07:00">September 26th, 4:47am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-26T04:47:55-07:00">September 26th, 4:47am</time><address><a>Bryan Logan</a>Bryan Logan decided to jump into his passion for Sports Betting in 2022 after spending years in the world of education. With a love for analytics and all sports, he began working on models for daily sports picks. This led him to ClutchPoints in 2023, where he is a part of the betting editorial team.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The playoff-bound Milwaukee Brewers take the field as they visit the Pittsburgh Pirates.  It’s time to continue our MLB odds <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting" rel="noopener">series</a> with a Brewers-Pirates prediction and pick.</p><h2><b>Brewers-Pirates Projected Starters </b></h2><p><b>Aaron Civale</b> vs. <b>Mitch Keller</b></p><p><b>Aaron Civale</b> (7-9) with a 4.53 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP</p><p>Last Start: Civale went 4.1 innings, giving up three hits, three walks, and two home runs. He would give up three runs overall, and take the loss to the Diamondbacks</p><p>2024 Road Splits: Civale is 2-3 on the road this year in 13 starts. He has a 6.34 ERA and a .277 opponent batting average.</p><p><b>Mitch Keller</b> (11-11) with a 4.21 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP</p><p>Last Start: Keller went just 3.1 innings in his last start, giving up seven hits, five walks, and two home runs. He gave up eight runs in a loss to the Reds.</p><p>2024 Home Splits: Mitch Keller is 5-4 in 14 starts at home. He has a 2.94 ERA and a .237 opponent batting average.</p><p><b><i>Here are the <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/mlb" rel="noopener">MLB Odds</a>, courtesy of FanDuel. </i></b></p><h2><b>MLB Odds: Brewers-Pirates Odds</b></h2><p>Milwaukee Brewers: -1.5 (+134)</p><p>Moneyline: -118</p><p>Pittsburgh Pirates: +1.5 (-162)</p><p>Moneyline: +100</p><p>Over: 8 (-106)</p><p>Under: 8 (-114)</p><h2><b>How to Watch Brewers vs. Pirates</b></h2><p>Time: 12:35 PM ET/ 9:35 AMPT</p><p>TV: BSWI/SNP</p><p>Stream: fuboTV (<a href="https://www.fubo.tv/stream/mlb/?irad=377812&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener sponsored">Free Trial</a>)</p><h2><b>Why The Brewers Will Cover The Spread/Win</b></h2><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-brewers-interested-christian-walker-catch">Brewers are tied for fifth in runs</a> scored this year, while sitting ninth in batting average, fourth in on-base percentage, and 13th in slugging. Willy Adames has led the way this year. He is hitting .252 on the year with a .332 on-base percentage. He has 32 home runs, 111 RBIs, 20 stolen bases, and 90 runs scored. William Contreras has also been solid this year. He is hitting .283 this year with a .366 on-base percentage. He has 23 home runs, 92 RBIs, and 97 runs scored. Jackson Chourio rounds out the top bats on the year. He is hitting .275  in the last week with a .329 on-base percentage. He has 21 home runs, 78 RBIs, and 80 runs scored.</p><p>Rhys Hoskins has been solid in the last week. He is hitting .333 in the last week with a home run, five RBIs, and four runs scored. Meanwhile, Joey Ortiz has been solid in the last week. He is hitting .333 in the last week with a home run, five RBIs, and three runs scored. Rounding out the top bats in the last week is Garrett Mitchell. Mitchell is hitting .267 in the last week with two home runs, three RBIs, and four runs scored. The Brewers are hitting .218 in the last week with five home runs and 24 runs scored in the last six games.</p><p>Current Brewers have 86 career at-bats against Mitch Keller. They have hit .314 against Keller. William Contreras is 5-13 with two home runs and three RBIs. Meanwhile, Willy Adames is 6-23 with two doubles, a home run, and four RBIs. Finally, Rhys Hoskins is 6-9 with two doubles, a triple, and three RBIs against Keller.</p><h2><b>Why The Pirates Will Cover The Spread/Win</b></h2><p>The Pirates are 23rd in the major in runs scored, while sitting 23rd in batting average, 25th in on-base percentage, and 28th in slugging percentage. Bryan Reynolds has been the top bat this year. He is hitting .276 on the year with a .343 on-base percentage. He has 22 home runs, 85 RBIs, and 70 runs scored. Oneil Cruz is also having a solid year. He is hitting .266 this year with a .329 on-base percentage. He has 21 home runs, 76 RBIs, 22 stolen bases, and 71 runs scored. Andrew McCutchen rounds out the top bats in the last week. He is hitting .238 this year with a .335 on-base percentage. He has 20 home runs, 50 RBIs, and 66 runs scored.</p><p>Billy Cook has led the way in the last week. He is hitting .278 in the last week with two home runs, four RBIs, a stolen base, and two runs scored. Oneil Cruz has been solid in the last week as well. He is hitting .235 in the last week with two home runs, two RBIs, and four runs scored. Rounding out the top bats this week is Nick Yorke. He is hitting .222 in the last week but has a home run, three RBIs, a stolen base, and two runs scored. The Pirates are hitting .261 in the last week with six home runs and 16 runs scored.</p><p>Current members of the Pirates have 64 career at-bats against Aaron Civale. They have hit .219 against Civale. Yamani Grandal has the most experience but is just 2-16 with two doubles and an RBI. Meanwhile, Bryan Reynolds is 3-13 with two home runs and three RBIs against Civale. Further, Nick Gonzales is 3-5 with an RBI against Civale.</p><h2><b>Final Brewers-Pirates Prediction &amp; Pick</b></h2><p>Aaron Civale has been fairly average as of late for the Brewers. He has given up nine runs in his last 19.2 innings of work over four starts. Meanwhile, the Brewers have gone 2-2 in those four games. Meanwhile, Mitch Keller has struggled heavily for the Pirates. In his last four starts, he has given up 18 runs, with 16 earned in 20.2 innings. The Pirates are 0-4 in those four games, while he is 0-3. Further, Keller is 1-6 in his last eight starts. The Brewers have been the better-hitting team as of late. Take the Brewers in this one.</p><p><b>Final Brewers-Pirates Prediction &amp; Pick: Brewers ML  (-118) </b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Brewers vs. Pirates prediction, odds, pick  – 9/26/2024

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/brewers-vs-pirates-prediction-odds-pick-9-25-2024');   ga('set', 'title', 'Brewers vs. Pirates prediction, odds, pick – 9/25/2024');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Brewers-vsPirates-prediction-odds-pick.jpg"></figure><h1>Brewers vs. Pirates prediction, odds, pick – 9/25/2024</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-25T06:11:20-07:00">September 25th, 6:11am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-25T06:11:20-07:00">September 25th, 6:11am</time><address><a>Bryan Logan</a>Bryan Logan decided to jump into his passion for Sports Betting in 2022 after spending years in the world of education. With a love for analytics and all sports, he began working on models for daily sports picks. This led him to ClutchPoints in 2023, where he is a part of the betting editorial team.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The playoff-bound Milwaukee Brewers take the field as they visit the Pittsburgh Pirates.  It’s time to continue our MLB odds <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting" rel="noopener">series</a> with a Brewers-Pirates prediction and pick.</p><h2><b>Brewers-Pirates Projected Starters </b></h2><p><b>Freddy Peralta</b> vs. <b>Luis Ortiz</b></p><p><b>Freddy Peralta</b> (11-8) with a 3.69 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP</p><p>Last Start: Freddy Peralta went five innings, giving up two hits, two walks, and a home run. He would give up one run in a no-decision as the Brewers beat the Phillies.</p><p>2024 Road Splits: Peralta is 5-3 on the road this year in 14 starts with a 3.28 ERA and a .222 opponent batting average.</p><p><b>Luis Ortiz</b> (6-6) with a 3.43 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP</p><p>Last Start: Ortiz went six innings, giving up five hits and two walks. He would surrender two runs and take the no-decision as the Pirates beat the Cardinals.</p><p>2024 Home Splits:  Ortiz is 2-3 in seven starts and 18 appearances at home. He has a 3.87 ERA and a .227 opponent batting average.</p><p><b><i>Here are the <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/mlb" rel="noopener">MLB Odds</a>, courtesy of FanDuel. </i></b></p><h2><b>MLB Odds: Brewers-Pirates Odds</b></h2><p>Milwaukee Brewers: -1.5 (+112)</p><p>Moneyline: -146</p><p>Pittsburgh Pirates: +1.5 (-134)</p><p>Moneyline: +124</p><p>Over: 7.5 (-118)</p><p>Under: 7.5 (-104)</p><h2><b>How to Watch Brewers vs. Pirates</b></h2><p>Time: 6:40 PM ET/ 3:40 PM PT</p><p>TV: BSWI/SNP</p><p>Stream: fuboTV (<a href="https://www.fubo.tv/stream/mlb/?irad=377812&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener sponsored">Free Trial</a>)</p><h2><b>Why The Brewers Will Cover The Spread/Win</b></h2><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-brewers-interested-christian-walker-catch">Brewers are tied for fifth in runs</a> scored this year, while sitting eighth in batting average, fifth in on-base percentage, and 13th in slugging. Willy Adames has led the way this year. He is hitting .250 on the year with a .330 on-base percentage. Hash a 32 home runs, 110 RBIs, 19 stolen bases, and 88 runs scored. William Contreras has also been solid this year. He is hitting .285 this year with a .367 on-base percentage. He has 23 home runs, 92 RBIs, and 96 runs scored. Jackson Chourio rounds out the top bats on the year. He is hitting .273 in the last week with a .328 on-base percentage. He has 21 home runs, 78 RBIs, and 79 runs scored.</p><p>Rhys Hoskins has been solid in the last week. He is hitting .333 in the last week with a home run, four RBIs, and three runs scored. Meanwhile, Garrett Mitchell has been great as well. He is hitting .316 in the last week with two home runs, four RBIs, and four runs scored. Rounding out the best bats in the last week is William Contreras. He is hitting .412 in the last week with a home run, two RBIs, and two runs scored. The Brewers are hitting .215 in the last week with five home runs and 18 runs scored in the last six games.</p><p>Current Brewers have ten career at-bats against Luis Ortiz. Isiah Kiner-Falefa is 0-2 while Rowdy Tellez is 0-2. Bryan De La Cruz has the only hit, going one for four with a walk and a strikeout.</p><h2><b>Why The Pirates Will Cover The Spread/Win</b></h2><p>The Pirates are 23rd in the major in runs scored, while sitting 23rd in batting average, 25th in on-base percentage, and 28th in slugging percentage. Bryan Reynolds has been the top bat this year. He is hitting .276 on the year with a .343 on-base percentage. He has 22 home runs, 85 RBIs, and 70 runs scored. Oneil Cruz is also having a solid year. He is hitting .268 this year with a .331 on-base percentage. He has 21 home runs, 76 RBIs, 22 stolen bases, and 71 runs scored. Rowdy Tellez rounds out the best bats this year. He is hitting .243 on the year with a .299 on-base percentage. He has 13 home runs, 56 RBIs, and 39 runs scored this year.</p><p>Billy Cook has led the way in the last week. He is hitting .333 in the last week with two home runs, four RBIs, a stolen base, and two runs scored. Oneil Cruz has been solid in the last week as well. He is hitting .286 in the last week with two home runs, two RBIs, and four runs scored. Rounding out the top bats this year with Nick Gonzalez. He is hitting .292 in the last week with an RBI and two runs scored. The Pirates are hitting .252 in the last week with seven home runs and 15 runs scored in the last six games.</p><p>Current members of the Pirates have 73 career at-bats against Freddy Peralta. Bryan Reynolds has had plenty of success against Peralta. He is 12-28 with a home run and three RBIs. Meanwhile, Andrew McCutchen is 5-12 with a home run and two RBIs. Finally, Bryan De La Cruz is 3-12 with a home run and four RBIs.</p><h2><b>Final Brewers-Pirates Prediction &amp; Pick</b></h2><p>Freddy Peralta has been solid recently. In his last seven starts, he has given up one or fewer runs in five of them. Further, the Brewers have won five of the last seven games Peralta has started. Meanwhile, it has been a struggle for Luis Ortiz as of late. In his last three starts, he has given up 13 runs, with nine earned in 15.2 innings while the Pirates have gone 1-2. The Brewers are hitting much better than the Pirates in the last week. Take the Brewers to get the win.</p><p><b>Final Brewers-Pirates Prediction &amp; Pick: Brewers ML (-146) </b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Brewers vs. Pirates prediction, odds, pick – 9/25/2024

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pirates-news-pittsburgh-surprising-roster-moves');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pirates make surprising roster moves as season winds down');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Pittsburgh-makes-surprising-roster-moves-as-season-winds-down.jpg"></figure><h1>Pirates make surprising roster moves as season winds down</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-24T17:00:23-07:00">September 24th, 5:00pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-24T17:00:23-07:00">September 24th, 5:00pm</time><address><a>Matt De Lima</a>Matt De Lima is an Associate Editor for NFL and college football at ClutchPoints. He has been covering sports for over 12 years at sites like Sports Illustrated, The Game Day, and countless others. Born and raised in California, he is a graduate of Virginia Tech and a diehard Hokies fan who now resides in southern Maryland.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Just four plate appearances shy of earning a $200,000 bonus for a contract incentive, the Pittsburgh Pirates instead <a href="https://x.com/Pirates/status/1838647851091407128" rel="noopener">opted to designate for assignment</a> first baseman Rowdy Tellez. In addition, Pittsburgh recalled INF Liover Peguero and OF Joshua Palacios from Triple-A Indianapolis. OF Michael A. Taylor was also DFA’d.</p><p>Many Pirates fans took to social media to vent their frustrations.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Rowdy Tellez was due a 200k bonus at 425 plate appearances this year. </p><p>The Pirates just DFA’d him. He was at 421 plate appearances.</p><p>Did him dirty. <a href="https://t.co/LqL53KBYOw">pic.twitter.com/LqL53KBYOw</a></p><p>— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenVerlander/status/1838694926911181248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Another fan believes team behavior will only keep free agents from signing with the Pirates.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">That’s the kind of treatment that keeps players away from Pittsburgh.</p><p>— Walt Penberthy (@TErnestos) <a href="https://twitter.com/TErnestos/status/1838703332761964741?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Pirates GM Ben Cherington said the bonus was <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/41422039/eliminated-pirates-dfa-veterans-rowdy-tellez-michael-taylor" rel="noopener">not a factor</a> in the decision to move on from Tellez, per ESPN News Services</p><p>“We feel like we gave Rowdy lots of opportunity here this year,” Cherington told reporters before Pittsburgh hosted Milwaukee on Tuesday night. “To his credit, he fought through some difficult times earlier in the year and fought his way out of it. Had periods of success and periods of frustration. This is just where we got to in the season.”</p><p>Tellez was set to earn the performance bonus if he reached 425 plate appearances. He finishes the year with 421.</p><h2><b>Recapping Josh Skenes, Pirates’ 2024 season</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Pirates-Rowdy-Tellez-celebrating-after-hitting-a-home-run.jpg"><figcaption>Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The year was far from a total loss, and there were times in the summer when it looked as though the Pirates might shake up the National League Central. The future certainly looks bright for potential 2024 NL Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes. The praise he’s received has been well-deserved and consistent from all sources.</p><p>Catcher and teammate Joey Bart spoke how Skenes <a href="https://www.mlb.com/pirates/news/paul-skenes-relies-on-changeup-in-win-over-reds" rel="noopener">reminded him</a> of veteran RHP Kevin Gausman and his ability to work between his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pirates-paul-skenes-sheds-light-on-famed-splinker-pitch">change-up and “splinker” pitch</a>.</p><p>“It kind of reminds me of, when I was young, catching Kevin Gausman,” said Joey Bart. “He would kind of tunnel that splitter to the changeup, and it’s pretty devastating. So, he’s got 100 mph and he’s got plenty of offerings to get him in the zone and put guys away.”</p><p>Skenes recently detailed <a href="https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1833887989081977066" rel="noopener">how he developed</a> his splinker while on the MLB Network.</p><p>“Yeah, so started throwing it when I got to LSU out of the transfer portal it was one of the projects was to throw a sinker,” Paul Skenes said on MLB Network. “And I found a grip, kind of a split-finger, you know pseudo-split-finger grip from one of my friends and I was trying to throw it off my middle finger at the time, and it was fine, didn’t throw it a whole lot in game. It was fine in college, like whatever.</p><p>“The draft came, and got shut down basically after the College World Series and started throwing again, ramping up to throwing games after the draft and I was playing catch one day, and it basically accidentally came off my index finger and moved how it moves now, and I was basically like, ‘well that was good,’ so I’m gonna keep trying to do that and it stuck.”</p><p>The Pirates have five games left to their 2024 season and close out with a series against the Brewers and then travel to New York for three games against the Yankees.</p><p> </p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pirates make surprising roster moves as season winds down

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/brewers-vs-pirates-prediction-odds-pick-9-24-2024');   ga('set', 'title', 'Brewers vs Pirates prediction, odds, pick – 9/24/2024');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Brewers-vsPirates-prediction-odds-pick.jpg"></figure><h1>Brewers vs Pirates prediction, odds, pick – 9/24/2024</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-23T23:25:16-07:00">September 23rd, 11:25pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-23T23:25:36-07:00">September 23rd, 11:25pm</time><address><a href="http://patreon.com/zemek">Matthew Zemek</a>Matthew Zemek is part of ClutchPoints' Betting team and has written for various sports websites and publications since 2001. He was the editor of the NBA site Crossover Chronicles in the 2016 NBA season. He was a contributing editor to the now-defunct site FanRag Sports in 2017. He currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It’s time to continue our MLB odds <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting" rel="noopener">series</a> with a Brewers-Pirates prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Brewers Pirates.</p><p>The Milwaukee Brewers have had a tremendous season. Pat Murphy is very likely to win the 2024 National League Manager of the Year Award. The Brewers lost Corbin Burnes, their 2023 staff ace, to the Baltimore Orioles in the offseason. Their offense faced a lot of question marks. Moreover, one of their big acquisitions, Rhys Hoskins, didn’t even have a great 2024 season. Yet, the Brewers have been a hugely positive surprise. Rookie Jackson Chourio has been a star. Willy Adames has caught lightning in a bottle in 2024, hitting an incredible 13 three-run home runs. Unlikely starting pitchers have stepped up and delivered huge seasons. So many players on this Milwaukee roster have greatly exceeded expectations, which is the exact opposite of the Atlanta Braves, in which a lot of players have performed well below preseason expectations. The Brewers have clinched the National League Central Division championship and know, one week before the end of the season, that they will be playing in October. It’s a sensational achievement for an organization which has done more with less in 2024.</p><h2><b>Brewers-Pirates Projected Starters </b></h2><p><b>Tobias Myers</b> vs. <b>Bailey Falter</b></p><p><b>Tobias Myers</b> (8-6) has a 3.05 ERA. This is one of the surprise stars for Milwaukee in its division championship season. Myers has come out of nowhere to be a well-above-average starting pitcher for the Brewers. To not only eat innings but pitch to a three-run ERA has been a godsend for a rotation which needed to compensate for the absence of Corbin Burnes. Myers now knows that he needs to get sharp for the playoffs and make sure his mechanics are precise and exactly where they need to be. Myers struggled in his last start against the Diamondbacks, a team which eliminated the Brewers in last year’s National League wild card round and could face the Brew Crew again in the playoffs next week.</p><p>Last Start: Thursday, September 19 versus the Arizona Diamondbacks: 4 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 HR, 3 BB, 5 K</p><p>2024 Road Splits: 12 starts, 64 2/3 IP, 65 H, 24 R, 8 HR, 20 BB, 54 K</p><p><b>Bailey Falter</b> (8-8) has a 4.15 ERA. The Pittsburgh rotation for 2025 has Paul Skenes as the ace, Mitch Keller as the veteran No. 2, Jared Jones at No. 3, and Jose Ortiz probably at No. 4. Bailey Falter, whose ERA is just over four runs, is trying to make the case that he should be the No. 5 starter in this rotation. He wants to make a strong closing argument. If he does, he should be a starting pitcher somewhere in 2025. It could be in Pittsburgh, but if it isn’t, Falter should find a landing spot somewhere else due to his solid 2024 season.</p><p>Last Start: Tuesday, September 17 versus the St Louis Cardinals: 5 2/3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 BB, 3 K</p><p>2024 Home Splits: 13 starts, 69 2/3 IP, 66 H, 29 R, 10 HR, 21 BB, 49 K</p><p><b><i>Here are the Brewers-Pirates <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/mlb" rel="noopener">MLB Odds</a>, courtesy of FanDuel. </i></b></p><h2><b>MLB Odds: Brewers-Pirates Odds</b></h2><p>Milwaukee Brewers: -1.5 (+118)</p><p>Moneyline: -138</p><p>Pittsburgh Pirates: +1.5 (-142)</p><p>Moneyline: +118</p><p>Over: 8 (-110)</p><p>Under: 8 (-110)</p><h2><b>How to Watch Brewers vs Pirates</b></h2><p>Time: 6:40 p.m. ET/3:40 p.m. PT</p><p>TV: Bally Sports Wisconsin (Brewers) / Root SportsNet Pittsburgh (Pirates) / MLB Extra Innings</p><p>Stream: fuboTV (<a href="https://www.fubo.tv/stream/mlb/?irad=377812&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener sponsored">Click for free trial</a>)</p><h2><b>Why The Brewers Will Cover The Spread/Win</b></h2><p>Milwaukee is a much, much better team than Pittsburgh, and Tobias Myers is a better pitcher than Bailey Falter. That’s all you need to know.</p><h2><b>Why The Pirates Will Cover The Spread/Win</b></h2><p>The Pirates have nothing to lose. Meanwhile, the Brewers frankly have no incentive to win. They are 3.5 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies for the No. 2 seed in the National League. Though technically still alive in that race, the odds of catching Philly are slim to none. The Brewers should align their rotation for the playoffs and the three-game wild card series they are about to play. They should not be pushing hard in this final week unless the Phillies lose a couple of games and put the No. 2 seed back in play.</p><h2><b>Final Brewers-Pirates Prediction &amp; Pick</b></h2><p>Milwaukee really doesn’t need this game, so you should pass on it.</p><p><i><b><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting" rel="noopener">Click here</a> for more betting news and predictions</b></i></p><p><b>Final Brewers-Pirates Prediction &amp; Pick: Brewers moneyline</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Brewers vs Pirates prediction, odds, pick – 9/24/2024

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/reds-news-hunter-greene-set-for-injury-return-vs-pirates');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reds’ Hunter Greene set for injury return vs. Pirates');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Reds-news-Hunter-Greene-set-for-injury-return-vs.-Pirates.jpg"></figure><h1>Reds’ Hunter Greene set for injury return vs. Pirates</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-21T09:49:50-07:00">September 21st, 9:49am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-21T09:50:14-07:00">September 21st, 9:50am</time><address><a>Benjamin Adducchio</a>Benjamin Adducchio is a journalist and writer with more than a decade of experience in covering sports news. Ben is a passionate sports fan who loves college football, basketball, and the New York Yankees.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene is expected to <a href="https://x.com/Enquirer/status/1837242862016098522" rel="noopener">take the mound</a> on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, per the Cincinnati Enquirer. The pitcher has been on <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/reds-news-hunter-greene-right-elbow-soreness-leads-to-il-move">the injured list</a> with a sore elbow.</p><p>Greene is expected to be on<a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/reds/news/cincinnati-reds-ace-hunter-greene-to-return-to-mound-on-sunday-01j88hm2mhd8" rel="noopener"> a pitch count</a>, per Sports Illustrated, so it will be interesting to see how well the Reds hurler performs. The Reds pitcher holds a 9-4 record on the season, with 24 game appearances. He last pitched for the team on August 13, tossing seven innings in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals.</p><p>The Reds are 75-80 on the season, heading into Saturday’s game against the Pirates.</p><h2>Hunter Greene is one of several promising stars for the Reds</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Reds-Hunter-Greene-deals-on-the-mound-.jpg"><figcaption>Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK</figcaption></figure><p>Greene is one of several young Reds stars looking to return the franchise to greatness. While Cincinnati’s season is nearing its end, the team has some talent that could compete for an NL pennant in the years to come. That group includes Greene and infielder Elly De La Cruz, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/reds-news-elly-de-la-cruz-secures-mlb-first-with-epic-statistical-feat">who set a MLB record</a> with the amount of home runs and stolen bases he’s put together over the last few years.</p><p>The Reds could be looking at a different season if Greene had been able to keep pitching over the last month or so. The team is 13.5 games behind in the National League Central division this season, and out of the playoff picture. Greene leads the team in strikeouts this campaign, with 162. That’s impressive considering the hurler has been off the mound for more than a month. Cincinnati has <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/reds-news-hunter-greene-reaches-unreal-mlb-territory-with-historic-feat">clearly missed him</a> while he’s been injured. Greene holds a 2.83 ERA on the campaign, with more than 143 innings of work.</p><p>“He’s learning how to be <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/hunter-greene-elbow-injury-update-reds-nick-krall" rel="noopener">a big league pitcher</a>,” Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said in August, per MLB.com. “I think we take that for granted sometimes when you’ve got a 22- [or] 23-year-old trying to work their way into this game. And then once they become 24, 25, 26, they start getting into their prime and they become elite players. He’s always been an elite talent, but now he’s really worked hard, he’s worked his butt off to develop into the pitcher he’s become this year.”</p><p>The Reds and Pirates face off at 1:10 Eastern on Saturday. Reds fans hope their star hurler gets his groove back and has an excellent outing.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reds’ Hunter Greene set for injury return vs. Pirates

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pirates-vs-reds-prediction-odds-pick-9-21-2024');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pirates vs. Reds prediction, odds, pick – 9/21/2024');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Pirates-vs.-Reds-prediction-odds-pick-.jpg"></figure><h1>Pirates vs. Reds prediction, odds, pick – 9/21/2024</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-20T15:54:15-07:00">September 20th, 3:54pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-20T15:54:15-07:00">September 20th, 3:54pm</time><address><a>Nate Duffett</a>Nate Duffett is a writer for ClutchPoints and a sports junkie at heart, especially for the Boston sports scene. In his spare time, he coaches hockey and is also a Hockey Scout at FCHockey and NeutralZone. Whether it's covering the NHL, MLB, NBA, NFL, or College Football and Basketball, there is not a sport Nate isn't able to discuss.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds are trying to finish their seasons as they’re both out of the playoff race by a mile. They are in the bottom two spots in the National League Central, sitting 14.5 and 16 games back of the first-place Milwaukee Brewers. It’ll be their 11th meeting, with the Pirates winning seven of the first ten games. The Pirates have lost five of the past seven games, while the Reds have lost five of their past ten. The Pirates finish their season with series against the Brewers and New York Yankees. Meanwhile, the Reds finish with dates against the Cleveland Guardians and Chicago Cubs. It’s time to continue our MLB odds <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting" rel="noopener">series</a> with a Pirates-Reds prediction and pick.</p><h2><b>Pirates-Reds Projected Starters </b></h2><p><b>Jared Jones</b> vs. <b>Rhett Lowder</b></p><p><b>Jared Jones</b> is 6-7 with a 3.85 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP.</p><p>Jones’ last start was at home against the Kansas City Royals. He pitched 4 innings with 5 strikeouts, allowing 6 hits, 3 walks, and 2 earned runs. Jones had 97 pitches through 4 innings, which led to him getting the hook early.</p><p>Jones is 2-4 on the road with a 5.40 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP.</p><p><b>Rhett Lowder</b> is 0-1 with a 0.87 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP.</p><p>Lowder’s last start was on the road against the Minnesota Twins. He pitched 5 1/3 innings with 5 strikeouts, allowing 6 hits, 1 walk, and 3 earned runs. It was the first time Lowder allowed more than 1 run in an outing, as he was lights out in his first three starts.</p><p>Lowder is 0-1 at home with a 0.87 ERA and 1.35 WHIP.</p><p><b><i>Here are the <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/mlb" rel="noopener">MLB Odds</a>, courtesy of FanDuel. </i></b></p><h2><b>MLB Odds: Pirates-Reds Odds</b></h2><p>Pittsburgh Pirates: -1.5 (+152)</p><p>Moneyline: -102</p><p>Cincinnati Reds: +1.5 (-184)</p><p>Moneyline: -116</p><p>Over: 9 (-105)</p><p>Under: 9 (-115)</p><h2><b>How to Watch Pirates vs. Reds</b></h2><p>Time: 1:10 PM ET/10:10 AM PT</p><p>TV: Bally Sports Ohio, SNP</p><p>Stream: fuboTV (<a href="https://www.fubo.tv/stream/mlb/?irad=377812&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener sponsored">Free Trial</a>)</p><h2><b>Why The Pirates Will Cover The Spread/Win</b></h2><p>Jared Jones’ recent form could make this game a pitching battle. Jones allowed two or fewer earned runs in four of his last six starts. The Pirates’ bullpen has also been better than the Reds, as they own a 4.89 ERA over their past three games.</p><p>The Pirates have the Reds’ number for most of this season, winning five of their last six meetings. Pittsburgh also took two of three games in the other series at the Great American Ball Park this season.</p><h2><b>Why The Reds Will Cover The Spread/Win</b></h2><p>The Reds have been hitting the ball well against right-handed pitching, which could help them solve Jones, who has been performing well recently. The Reds are batting .251 with a .329 on-base percentage over their last ten games, averaging 4.2 runs/nine. Cincinnati’s last few games have been hit or miss, as they have games over their past six where they’ve scored 6, 11, and 8 runs. However, they scored 3, 1, and 2 in the other games over that span.</p><p>Lowder’s start has been unbelievable for a rookie. He allowed one earned run over his first 15 1/3 innings but regressed in his recent start with three earned runs over 5 1/3 innings. Can Lowder return to the form to start his career, or was the start against the Brewers a sign of things to come?</p><p><b>Final Pirates-Reds Prediction &amp; Pick</b></p><p>Both of these teams have been going through some hitting slumps and these pitchers are performing well over their last number of starts. A Saturday afternoon game in Cincinnati is the recipe for a pitching battle that ends in a 2-1 or 3-2 final. Take this game to go under and for Jones and Lowder to continue their fine form.</p><p><b>Final Pirates-Reds Prediction &amp; Pick: Under 9 (-115)</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pirates vs. Reds prediction, odds, pick – 9/21/2024

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pirates-vs-cardinals-prediction-odds-pick-9-19-2024');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pirates vs. Cardinals prediction, odds, pick – 9/19/2024');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Pirates-vs.-Cardinals-prediction-odds-pick-1.jpg"></figure><h1>Pirates vs. Cardinals prediction, odds, pick – 9/19/2024</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-19T08:19:10-07:00">September 19th, 8:19am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-19T08:19:10-07:00">September 19th, 8:19am</time><address><a>Dominik Zawartko</a>Dominik Zawartko is a Michigan State graduate with a degree in Political Science and English. Having previously worked in the nonprofit and legal sectors, he decided to pursue his true love of writing with ClutchPoints. Dominik's hobbies include painting, cooking food, training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and always having a laugh. His main focus areas are UFC coverage and all things sneakers.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Our slate of MLB betting predictions and picks will continue on with this next matchup within the National League Central Division. The <b>Pittsburgh Pirates </b>will visit the <b>St. Louis Cardinals </b>for the final game of their current four-game series. It’s time to continue our MLB odds <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting" rel="noopener">series</a> with a Pirates-Cardinals prediction and pick.</p><h2><b>Pirates-Cardinals Projected Starters </b></h2><p><b>Luis Ortiz (RHP)</b> vs. <b>Erick Fedde (RHP)</b></p><p><b>Luis Ortiz</b> (6-6) with a 3.45 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 95 K, 122.2 IP</p><p>Last Start: 9/13 vs. KC (L) – 4.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 K</p><p>2024 Road Splits: (4-3) with a 2.84 ERA, .214 OBA, 51 K, 57.0 IP</p><p><b>Erick Fedde</b> (8-9) with a 3.45 ERA, 1.18 WHP, 141 K, 164.1 IP</p><p>Last Start: 9/13 @ TOR (L) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 3 K</p><p>2024 Home Splits: (6-4) with a 1.98 ERA, .224 OBA, 59 K, 68.1 IP</p><p><b><i>Here are the <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/mlb" rel="noopener">MLB Odds</a>, courtesy of FanDuel. </i></b></p><h2><b>MLB Odds: Pirates-Cardinals Odds</b></h2><p>Pittsburgh Pirates: +1.5 (-182)</p><p>Moneyline: +116</p><p>St. Louis Cardinals: -1.5 (+150)</p><p>Moneyline: -136</p><p>Over: 8.5 (+102)</p><p>Under: 8.5 (-124)</p><h2><b>How to Watch Pirates vs. Cardinals</b></h2><p>Time: 7:15 p.m. ET/ 4:15 p.m. PT</p><p>TV: SportsNet PT, ESPN+, MLB.TV</p><p>Stream: fuboTV (<a href="https://www.fubo.tv/stream/mlb/?irad=377812&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener sponsored">Free Trial</a>)</p><h2><b>Why The Pirates Will Cover The Spread/Win</b></h2><p>The Pittsburgh Pirates are currently fifth in the NL Central by a 16-game margin and they’re out of contention when it comes to the Wild Card race. It was a tough season of ups and downs and while they won’t be making the Postseason this year, they have a few bright spots to be happy about moving forward. Namely, the emergence of pitcher Paul Skenes as one of the league’s best has this ball club excited for the future as they’re looking to lock him up as their star ace and continuing to build this rotation around him.</p><p>Luis Ortiz will get the nod here for just his fourteenth start of the season. With 35 total appearances on the year, he’s been used mostly as a relief pitcher in mid-game situations. He’s been seeing some opportunities to start with a number of injuries to the Pirates’ rotation and they don’t want to risk any injuries with the season all but over. He’s 2-2 over his last four starts and during those wins, he managed to pitch 12 collective scoreless innings. His last two starts, however, he’s allowed seven earned runs and will be hoping for a better performance in this one.</p><h2><b>Why The Cardinals Will Cover The Spread/Win</b></h2><p>The St. Louis Cardinals are currently third in the NL Central and trail the lead by 11 games. They’re currently seven games out of the final NL Wild Card spot and it doesn’t seem as though they’ll be making the Postseason this year. A year with high expectations, the Cardinals were plagued by injuries and couldn’t string together meaningful games for a record above .500. It’ll be interesting to see what changes they make this offseason with players like Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt unfortunately not being enough to make the Postseason. Injuries to players like Willson Coontreras and Lance Lynn have also put a serious dent in their season hopes.</p><p>The Cardinals will send Erick Fedde to the mound for his 30th start of the season. His solid 3.45 ERA ranks eighteenth among all pitchers and he heads into this game with a solid 6-4 record at home. Still, the Cardinals haven’t managed a win in his last three consecutive starts and he’s given up eight earned runs during that stretch. He’s also only notched four strikeouts through his last two starts, which is typically uncharacteristic of him and his ability to strike out the side. Expect Fedde to have a better showing as he looks to take this start deeper than the fifth inning.</p><h2><b>Final Pirates-Cardinals Prediction &amp; Pick</b></h2><p>Neither of these teams are playing for anything other than pride at this point and while it was a valiant effort from both sides, neither city will see their club make the Postseason this year. Still, this is a divisional rivalry and every game counts when facing a divisional opponent, so both teams are expected to find this win and end their season positively.</p><p>The St. Louis Cardinals lead this season series 7-4 and they’ve taken the last two meetings against the Pirates, outscoring them 7-1 during this current series. The Pirates haven’t been putting up much of a fight from the plate and it’ll be interesting to see how one of their relief pitchers fares during this start.</p><p>For our final prediction, we have to roll with the St. Louis Cardinals to pick up this win. They’ve been the much better team during this current series and they really haven’t seen much resistance from this Pirates team all season. Expect the Cardinals to improve upon their 41-35 winning record at home as they manage the series win here.</p><p><b>Final Pirates-Cardinals Prediction &amp; Pick: St. Louis Cardinals -1.5 (+150)</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pirates vs. Cardinals prediction, odds, pick – 9/19/2024

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pirates-early-free-agent-targets-2024-mlb-offseason');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pirates’ 3 early free agent targets in 2024 MLB offseason');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Pirates-X-early-free-agent-targets-in-2024-MLB-offseason.jpg"></figure><h1>Pirates’ 3 early free agent targets in 2024 MLB offseason</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-17T11:21:33-07:00">September 17th, 11:21am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-17T11:21:33-07:00">September 17th, 11:21am</time><address><a>Andrew Meyers</a>Andrew Meyers is an avid sports fan with a fondness for Philadelphia teams that rarely love him back. He has two degrees from Quinnipiac University, including a master's in sports journalism. Outside of ClutchPoints, Meyers does play-by-play broadcasting for various colleges in the northeast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2024 season had its ups and downs for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pirates-news-paul-skenes-notches-historic-mlb-strikeout-feat">debut of Paul Skenes</a> was the highlight but Pittsburgh had plenty of memorable moments from several impact players to make this season a little more tolerable for fans. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pirates-2024-over-under-win-total-prediction-pick">Pirates are six wins away</a> from topping their win total from last year but another season will pass without playoff baseball.</p><p>Still, the Pirates seem to have taken a step in the right direction and should want to move forward rather than regress in 2025 and beyond. That means increasing their payroll and an easy way to do that is to sign free agents.</p><p>MLB free agency won’t have as many big players this winter as the last, but there are still recognizable names that will demand heavy markets. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pirates-news-intriguing-oneil-cruz-position-switch">Pirates are a team</a> that can offer obvious playing time at multiple positions as they search for upgrades. That may appeal to the crop of free agents they’ll be going after – veteran players likely past their prime looking to contribute to a hopeful contender.</p><p>Pittsburgh is unlikely to sign one of the top-of-the-line free agents, Juan Soto and Corbin Burnes among them. However, there are former All-Stars and impact veterans available at reasonable prices. Those should be the ones the Pirates target.</p><h2><b> All-Star 1B returns to Pittsburgh</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Josh-Bell-Diamondbacks.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Navarro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Could the Pirates say hello to an old friend this offseason? Pittsburgh rather infamously dealt Josh Bell during the 2020-21 offseason, trading the first baseman to the Washington Nationals a year after he was an All-Star. It’s safe to say the Pirates did not win that trade, although Bell’s time with the Nats lasted less than two years.</p><p>Bell has since been traded midseason in each of the last three years. He’s maintained pretty solid numbers with a .750 OPS and a .254 batting average. He’s averaged 19 home runs and 27 doubles, playing an average of 149 games per year.</p><p>Bell has been great for the D-backs since they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/diamondbacks-news-arizona-trades-josh-bell-christian-walker-injury">acquired him in late July</a>. He’s hitting .278 with a .785 OPS, 10 extra-base hits and 20 RBIs. Bell has a .327 average across his last 15 games and is becoming a key cog in Arizona’s lineup.</p><p>Bell was an impact player for much of his five-year tenure with the Pirates. Drafted by Pittsburgh in 2011, Bell made his MLB debut in 2016 and finished third in NL Rookie of the Year Award voting the next year. He was named an All-Star in 2019 which was the final year of a rather impressive three-season stretch for Bell.</p><p>Bell posted an .836 OPS and averaged 31 doubles, 25 home runs and 89 RBIs from 2017-2019, playing 450 total games. He placed himself among the elite power-hitting first basemen in the league and quickly became a hot commodity once it was clear the Pirates weren’t going to extend him long-term.</p><p>The Pirates will have an opening at first with incumbent starter Rowdy Tellez also heading for free agency. Bell would be an upgrade and wouldn’t cost much more than Tellez. As long as there’s no bad blood between the two sides, a Pirates reunion with Josh Bell could happen.</p><h2><b>Pirates sign former Yankees catcher</b></h2><p>Although many think the catching position has become watered down, there remains lots of talent behind the plate. Several backups/platoon guys are in line to make decent money this offseason. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/kyle-higashiokas-yankees-farewell-letter-amid-juan-soto-trade-will-leave-fans-sobbing">Kyle Higashioka</a> is one of them.</p><p>Higashioka is among the best No. 2 catchers in the league and he’s making that true by putting up great numbers with the San Diego Padres in 2024. Higashioka has a .764 OPS with a career-high 16 homers, 43 RBIs and nine doubles. He is 21 plate appearances away from matching his total from last season.</p><p>While Higashioka’s average and on-base percentage is down from last year, his OPS is up nearly 80 points. Higashioka’s WAR is also higher than last year according to both Baseball Reference and FanGraphs.</p><p>There are few viable catching options on the open market to begin with so teams will be eager to claim a new backstop before all of the decent major leaguers are gone. Kyle Higashioka is among those players and should land plenty of offers.</p><p>Joey Bart seems to have found something with the Pirates and should be the frontrunner to be the starter next season. The Pirates should still look for a good backup and Higashiaoka fits the mold.</p><h2><b>New closer in the cards?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Kirby-Yates-Rangers.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Relievers are a crucial part of a team’s success. A good bullpen can turn a mediocre team into a fringe playoff fixture. The Pirates have one of the worst bullpens in baseball this season and its demise includes a fall from grace for Pittsburgh’s All-Star closer David Bednar.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pirates-news-making-a-change-in-closing-role">Bednar recently lost his closer role</a> after blowing six saves and holding an ERA above 5.00. He currently has a 5.87 ERA in 57 appearances. He had an ERA under 2.65 every season from 2021-2023 and was an All-Star twice. Now he might never get his closer title back.</p><p>If the reason is because the Pirates signed someone like Kirby Yates to replace him then that’s a good move on paper. There is reason to believe Yates’ resurgent season is not a fluke and the 37-year-old can pitch well into his 40s. His Baseball Savant page is <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/kirby-yates-489446?stats=statcast-r-pitching-mlb" rel="noopener">littered with red</a> as he’s among the league leaders in several categories including whiff rate, chase rate and strikeout percentage.</p><p>Yates is 30 for 31 in save opportunities this year as he’s pitched to a 1.27 ERA in 56 games. Most of his numbers are his best since 2019 when he was named an All-Star and finished with a 1.19 ERA.</p><p>Kirby Yates should get a lot of offers due to his track record and now successive seasons of health. Nabbing over 30 saves with a sub-1.50 ERA if he’s able to lock that down is a great way to boost buzz around your name.</p><p>Maybe there’s no guarantee Yates can continue his upward trajectory, but he’s worth the Pirates taking a look at for the backend of the bullpen. Pittsburgh’s starting rotation will be too good to waste next season. A great bullpen is necessary for the success of the Pirates in 2025.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pirates’ 3 early free agent targets in 2024 MLB offseason

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pirates-news-paul-skenes-notches-historic-mlb-strikeout-feat');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pirates’ Paul Skenes notches historic MLB strikeout feat');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Pirates-Paul-Skenes.jpg"></figure><h1>Pirates’ Paul Skenes notches historic MLB strikeout feat</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-17T06:46:33-07:00">September 17th, 6:46am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-17T09:26:09-07:00">September 17th, 9:26am</time><address><a>Sam DiGiovanni</a>Sam DiGiovanni started at ClutchPoints as an associate editor in 2021 and became the site's Philadelphia 76ers beat reporter ahead of the 2022-23 season. He graduated from Marist College in May of 2022 and has written for TheKnicksWall.com and CenterFieldMarist.com in the past.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Paul Skenes is everything the Pittsburgh Pirates hoped he would be — and more. The 22-year-old is an <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/steelers-news-t-j-watt-mike-tomlin-gush-over-pirates-ace-paul-skenes">ace pitcher from the jump</a>, dominating opposing lineups and making history along the way. Few pitchers are this good, especially this early in their careers.</p><p>Sarah Langs of MLB.com put Skenes’ dominance into historical perspective. Since 1901, only four other pitchers have recorded more strikeouts in their first 21 starts. Skenes has thrown <a href="https://stathead.com/tiny/hziZj" rel="noopener">considerably fewer innings</a> than those ahead of him but has a superior ERA, even when adjusted for the different eras. He also did a better job limiting walks.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">most strikeouts in 1st 21 career app (since at least 1901):</p><p>1995 Hideo Nomo: 188<br>1998 Kerry Wood: 185<br>2002-03 Mark Prior: 166<br>1984 Dwight Gooden: 165<br>2024 Paul Skenes: 158</p><p>— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/SlangsOnSports/status/1835859546125762568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Not only is Skenes piling up strikeouts, but he’s keeping runs off the board.</p><p>Langs pulled another great stat that showed how great Skenes has been in his debut season in the majors. His 2.07 ERA is the second-best mark through 21 starts since earned runs became an official stat in 1913. Only Steve Rogers has a better mark than him, and Skenes has done it through one whole season.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">lowest ERA in first 21 career app, all starts, since ER official in AL + NL (1913):</p><p>1973-74 Steve Rogers: 1.95<br>2024 Paul Skenes: 2.07 <a href="https://t.co/FYYcUbuEF7">https://t.co/FYYcUbuEF7</a></p><p>— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/SlangsOnSports/status/1835858603523150015?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Paul Skenes wrapping up historic rookie season for Pirates</b></h2><p>In his latest start, Skenes threw 6.0 innings against the St. Louis Cardinals, striking out seven batters. He has recorded at least six strikeouts in seven-straight starts. He has allowed one run or fewer in four of his last five starts, each of which has gone at least 5.0 innings deep.</p><p>Even with All-Star outfielder Jackson Merrill <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/padres-jackson-merrill-beat-paul-skenes-2024-nl-roy-award">having a wonderful season</a> for the San Diego Padres, Skenes appears to be on track to secure the National League Rookie of the Year award. He has instantly become one of the best pitchers in all of baseball.</p><p>The Pirates are 13-8 in games started by Skenes, and his personal win-loss record is 10-3. The team has other solid starters in Mitch Keller and Jared Jones, the latter of whom turned 23 years old just over a month ago. The future is bright for the Buccos.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pirates’ Paul Skenes notches historic MLB strikeout feat

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pirates-vs-cardinals-prediction-odds-pick-9-17-2024');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pirates vs. Cardinals prediction, odds, pick – 9/17/2024');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Pirates-vs-mCardinals-prediction-odds-pick.jpg"></figure><h1>Pirates vs. Cardinals prediction, odds, pick – 9/17/2024</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-16T16:59:19-07:00">September 16th, 4:59pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-16T16:59:19-07:00">September 16th, 4:59pm</time><address><a>Garrett Kerman</a>Garrett Kerman also goes by the name of The Fight Analyst. He covers all combat sports, from MMA, to boxing, to even bare-knuckle. He is also very well-versed in all American sports when it comes to news and betting analysis. Whether you want betting advice or some breaking news, Garrett is your guy.2024 YTD Record |NBA: 55-41 |NCAAB: 6-8 |MMA: 74-30 |Overall: 135-79</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Bailey Falter will take the mound for the Pirates in game two of their series with the Cardinals on Tuesday. It’s time to continue our MLB odds <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting" rel="noopener">series</a> with a Pirates-Cardinals prediction and pick.</p><h2><b>Pirates-Cardinals Projected Starters </b></h2><p><b>Bailey Falter </b>vs. <b>Lance Lynn</b></p><p><b>Bailey Falter </b>(8-7) with a 4.20 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP</p><p>Last Start: Bailey Falter earned the win Wednesday over Miami, allowing two hits and three walks over 7.1 scoreless innings. He struck out five.</p><p>2024 Road Splits: Bailey Falter hasn’t been as sharp on the road where he is 3-4 with a 4.73 ERA and 1.31 WHIP.</p><p><b><b>Lance Lynn</b> </b>(6-4) with a 3.96 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP</p><p>Last Start: Lance Lynn allowed one run on five hits and a walk while striking out seven over five innings in a no-decision versus the Reds on Wednesday.</p><p>2024 Home Splits: Lance Lynn has been much better at home than on the road where he is 5-0 with a 3.30 ERA and 1.15 WHIP.</p><p><b><i>Here are the <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/mlb" rel="noopener">MLB Odds</a>, courtesy of FanDuel. </i></b></p><h2><b>MLB Odds: Pirates-Cardinals Odds</b></h2><p>Pittsburgh Pirates: +1.5 (-194)</p><p>Moneyline: +110</p><p>St. Louis Cardinals: -1.5 (+160)</p><p>Moneyline: -130</p><p>Over: 8 (-102)</p><p>Under: 8 (-120)</p><h2><b>How to Watch Pirates vs. Cardinals </b></h2><p>Time: 7:45 PM ET/4:45 PM PT</p><p>TV: AT&amp;T SportsNet Pittsburgh, Bally Sports Midwest, MLB Extra Innings</p><p>Stream: fuboTV (<a href="https://www.fubo.tv/stream/mlb/?irad=377812&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener sponsored">Free Trial</a>)</p><h2><b>Why The Pirates Will Cover The Spread/Win</b></h2><p>Bailey Falter and the Pittsburgh Pirates have a strong chance of defeating Lance Lynn and the St. Louis Cardinals on the road this Tuesday.</p><p>Bailey Falter has been showing signs of improvement lately, with his most recent outing being particularly impressive. Against the Marlins, Falter struck out five batters over 7 1/3 innings while allowing no earned runs. This performance demonstrates his ability to handle tough lineups and suggests he’s hitting his stride at the right time.</p><p>On the other side, Lance Lynn has been inconsistent this season. While he recently notched his 2,000th career strikeout, his overall numbers have been less than stellar. In his last start, Lynn managed only five innings, allowing four hits and three walks. His tendency to give up walks could prove costly against a patient Pirates lineup.</p><p>The Pirates come into this game with significant momentum, having won seven of their last eight games. This hot streak has boosted team morale and confidence, which could be crucial in a road game against a division rival. Pittsburgh’s offense has been clicking lately, with players like Jack Suwinski contributing multiple hits in recent games. If they can get to Lynn early and force the Cardinals to dip into their bullpen, the Pirates will have a significant advantage.</p><p>The Pirates’ bullpen has been solid, while the Cardinals have shown some vulnerability in late innings. If Falter can keep the game close through six innings, Pittsburgh’s relievers should be able to lock down the win. While the Cardinals have home-field advantage, the combination of Falter’s recent form, Lynn’s inconsistency, and the Pirates’ overall momentum make Pittsburgh the likely victor in Tuesday’s matchup. Expect a close game that the Pirates should ultimately win.</p><h2><b>Why The Cardinals Will Cover The Spread/Win</b></h2><p>Lance Lynn and the St. Louis Cardinals have a strong chance of defeating Bailey Falter and the Pittsburgh Pirates at home on Tuesday.</p><p>Lance Lynn, a seasoned veteran, has consistently performed well at Busch Stadium throughout his career. His 3.30 ERA at home last season demonstrates his comfort level pitching in St. Louis. Lynn’s recent outing against the Reds showcased his ability to navigate tough situations, striking out seven over five innings.</p><p>The Cardinals’ lineup, led by Paul Goldschmidt, has the potential to break out against Falter. Goldschmidt’s clutch hitting, as evidenced by his recent game-winning double, could be the difference-maker in a tight contest. While Bailey Falter has shown flashes of potential, his 4.20 ERA and 1.21 WHIP this season indicate vulnerability. The Cardinals’ experienced hitters should be able to capitalize on his inconsistency.</p><p>The Cardinals’ bullpen, anchored by Ryan Helsley (44 saves in 48 tries), gives them a significant edge in late-game situations. This could be crucial if the game remains close into the later innings. With the Cardinals still in the playoff hunt, every game is critical. The team’s recent victory over the Reds, coupled with Lynn’s return from injury, should provide a motivational boost.</p><p>Expect Lynn to utilize his diverse pitch repertoire, including his effective four-seam fastball, to keep the Pirates’ hitters off-balance. The Cardinals’ offense should provide enough run support against Falter, while the bullpen secures the win in the later innings. The combination of Lynn’s home-field advantage, the Cardinals’ offensive potential, and their superior bullpen makes them the likely victors in Tuesday’s matchup against the Pirates.</p><h2><b>Final Pirates</b><b>-Cardinals Prediction &amp; Pick</b></h2><p>Expect a closely contested battle in this intriguing matchup between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the St. Louis Cardinals. Lance Lynn’s experience and home-field advantage will be pitted against Bailey Falter’s recent improvements. The Cardinals’ offensive firepower, led by Paul Goldschmidt, could be the deciding factor against the Pirates’ pitching. However, Pittsburgh’s recent momentum and improved hitting shouldn’t be underestimated. The game will likely come down to bullpen performance and late-inning heroics. They have a slight edge given the Cardinals’ playoff aspirations and strong home record which will help secure the win on Tuesday night.</p><p><b>Final Pirates-Cardinals Prediction &amp; Pick: St. Louis Cardinals ML (-130), Under 8 (-120)</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pirates vs. Cardinals prediction, odds, pick – 9/17/2024

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pirates-vs-cardinals-prediction-odds-pick-9-16-2024');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pirates vs Cardinals prediction, odds, pick – 9/16/2024');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Pirates-vs.-Cardinals-prediction-odds-pick.jpg"></figure><h1>Pirates vs Cardinals prediction, odds, pick – 9/16/2024</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-15T22:57:05-07:00">September 15th, 10:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-15T22:57:27-07:00">September 15th, 10:57pm</time><address><a href="http://patreon.com/zemek">Matthew Zemek</a>Matthew Zemek is part of ClutchPoints' Betting team and has written for various sports websites and publications since 2001. He was the editor of the NBA site Crossover Chronicles in the 2016 NBA season. He was a contributing editor to the now-defunct site FanRag Sports in 2017. He currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It’s time to continue our MLB odds <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting" rel="noopener">series</a> with a Pirates-Cardinals prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Pirates-Cardinals.</p><p>The Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals are playing out the string. Both teams are enduring the sting of falling short of the playoffs and not having anything to play for in the middle of September other than for guys to nail down roster spots for 2025. The Pirates wasted a lot of quality pitching this season. They had Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, a few months with a healthy Jared Jones, plus Jose Ortiz. They had a lot of attractive pieces in their starting rotation, but they couldn’t hit well and their bullpen gave up a lot of late leads. The Pirates were to the National League what the Seattle Mariners are to the American League, a team which couldn’t translate quality starting pitching into a playoff season (though the Mariners still have an outside chance of making the playoffs, but they’re not likely to get in).</p><p>The St. Louis Cardinals could not get the level of starting pitching the Pirates had in 2024, but they also fell victim to a lack of offense and top-level production from their batting order. Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado did not fulfill their potential. Those two men know more than anyone else that they left something on the table, and it has to be eating them away inside. One can only wonder if the Cardinals are going to try to retain most of their core roster for 2025 or will aim for significant offseason shakeups when the time comes. St. Louis is not used to missing the playoffs multiple seasons in a row, but that is where the Cardinals are, and there will be absolutely no excuses in 2025. The pressure inside this organization to improve is already very intense and all-consuming.</p><h2><b>Pirates-Cardinals Projected Starters </b></h2><p><b>Paul Skenes</b> vs. <b>Andre Pallante</b></p><p><b>Paul Skenes</b> (10-2) has a 2.10 ERA. He is unlikely to win National League Rookie of the Year or the NL Cy Young Award, but Skenes has had a very special season nonetheless. He started the All-Star Game as a rookie, something he will never forget. He is a legitimate superstar who, with a full offseason to build his fitness base, should be ready to dominate from early April through late September in 2025. It’s a very attractive thought for the Pirates, who have the makings of an elite rotation and now just need to figure out how to put good hitters and position players around their starting pitchers.</p><p>Last Start: Monday, September 9 versus the Miami Marlins: 6 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 HR, 1 BB, 9 K</p><p>2024 Road Splits: 8 starts, 48 1/3 IP, 29 H, 9 R, 3 HR, 13 BB, 68 K</p><p><b>Andre Pallante</b> (6-8) has a 4.13 ERA. Pallante has been solid at the back end of the St. Louis rotation. Back-end starters aren’t supposed to set the world on fire. Merely keeping an ERA near four runs is a solid result for a pitcher who is not an ace or a No. 2. The Cardinals will take a 4.13 ERA from Pallante on a continuous basis. Is there room for improvement? Sure. However, if this is the floor for Pallante, it’s a a floor St. Louis should be comfortable with.</p><p>Last Start: Tuesday, September 10 versus the Cincinnati Reds: 5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 0 HR, 5 BB, 6 K</p><p>2024 Home Splits: 9 starts, 53 1/3 IP, 58 H, 29 R, 3 HR, 23 BB, 42 K</p><p><b><i>Here are the Pirates-Cardinals <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/mlb" rel="noopener">MLB Odds</a>, courtesy of FanDuel. </i></b></p><h2><b>MLB Odds: Pirates-Cardinals Odds</b></h2><p>Pittsburgh Pirates: -1.5 (+122)</p><p>Moneyline: -144</p><p>St Louis Cardinals: +1.5 (-146)</p><p>Moneyline: +122</p><p>Over: 7 (-120)</p><p>Under: 7 (-102)</p><h2><b>How to Watch Pirates vs Cardinals</b></h2><p>Time: 7:45 p.m. ET/4:45 p.m. PT</p><p>TV: Root SportsNet Pittsburgh (Pirates) / Bally Sports Midwest (Cardinals) / MLB Extra Innings</p><p>Stream: fuboTV (<a href="https://www.fubo.tv/stream/mlb/?irad=377812&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener sponsored">Free trial</a>)</p><h2><b>Why The Pirates Will Cover The Spread/Win</b></h2><p>Paul Skenes will put the hammer down and smother the Cardinals.</p><h2><b>Why The Cardinals Will Cover The Spread/Win</b></h2><p>The Cardinals can contain Pittsburgh’s below-average batting order and scratch out a low-scoring win. Skenes will pitch six innings but the game will be decided by the bullpens in the eighth and ninth. St. Louis will have the advantage under such a scenario.</p><h2><b>Final Pirates-Cardinals Prediction &amp; Pick</b></h2><p>The lean is to the Pirates, but there’s little point in betting on baseball games in which neither team is playing for anything. Pass.</p><p><i><b><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting" rel="noopener">Click here</a> for more betting news and predictions</b></i></p><p><b>Final Pirates-Cardinals Prediction &amp; Pick: Pirates -1.5</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pirates vs Cardinals prediction, odds, pick – 9/16/2024

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/steelers-news-t-j-watt-mike-tomlin-gush-over-pirates-ace-paul-skenes');   ga('set', 'title', 'Steelers’ T.J. Watt, Mike Tomlin gush over Pirates ace Paul Skenes');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/T.J.-Watt-Mike-Tomlin-gush-over-Pirates-ace-Paul-Skenes.jpg"></figure><h1>Steelers’ T.J. Watt, Mike Tomlin gush over Pirates ace Paul Skenes</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-14T07:58:49-07:00">September 14th, 7:58am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-14T07:59:11-07:00">September 14th, 7:59am</time><address><a>Benjamin Adducchio</a>Benjamin Adducchio is a journalist and writer with more than a decade of experience in covering sports news. Ben is a passionate sports fan who loves college football, basketball, and the New York Yankees.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Some key figures for the Pittsburgh Steelers are impressed with a player <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pirates-paul-skenes-sheds-light-on-famed-splinker-pitch">who competes</a> for another Steel City franchise. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and player T.J Watt love Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes.</p><p>“<a href="https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/jason-mackey/2024/09/14/jason-mackey-pirates-steelers-skenes-impressed-tomlin-watt-mature-approach-nfl/stories/202409130104" rel="noopener">I’m a big fan</a>,” Tomlin said, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I’m not only a big fan of the product that he’s putting out, but from what I hear, I’m a big fan of his approach. He’s a young guy with a very mature approach. The consistency of his performance is probably the biggest indication of that.”</p><p>Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt shares his coach’s sentiment about the rookie hurler.</p><p>“Big dude, man,” Watt said. “Cool guy. He’s electric for this whole city, for the team. I’m just excited for his future and the Pirates’ future, as well.”</p><p>Skenes has brought a lot of excitement to the Pirates franchise this season. The team looked to make a run to the postseason, but a dismal August caused the team to free-fall in the National League Central standings. Heading into Sunday’s games, the Pirates hold a 70-77 record. It seems that the Bucs will have at least a few fans cheering them on the rest of the year, in Tomlin and Watt.</p><h2>Steelers looking for success and a trip to the postseason in 2024</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Justin-Fields.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Another Pittsburgh franchise <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/3-steelers-overreactions-surprising-victory-falcons">hoping to make the playoffs</a> this year is the Steelers. Pittsburgh started off the campaign on the right foot, with a win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1. The Steelers won the game despite <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/steelers-news-mike-tomlin-questionable-russell-wilson-week-2-injury-update">having to start</a> their backup quarterback, Justin Fields.</p><p>Watt had a great game against Atlanta. He finished the contest with a sack, as well as four tackles. Two of those were solo stops. He also recovered a fumble for the team.</p><p>The Steelers have long been the flagship professional sports franchise in the Steel City. The franchise has six Super Bowl championships, and fans want to see the team make the final nearly every year. The Steelers haven’t won the NFL championship since the 2008 season, which was Tomlin’s second with the franchise. A few years later, Tomlin led the team to the final again but lost to the Green Bay Packers.</p><p>The Pirates have not had nearly as much success in recent years. While the franchise does have five World Series championships, the team hasn’t won one since 1979. The Pirates last made the NLCS in 1992, but have had just a few playoff appearances since that season. Pirates fans desperate for success hope that Skenes can lead the team moving forward in future years.</p><p>The Steelers next face the Denver Broncos on Sunday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Steelers’ T.J. Watt, Mike Tomlin gush over Pirates ace Paul Skenes

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/steelers-news-mike-tomlin-honest-message-paul-skenes');   ga('set', 'title', 'Steelers’ Mike Tomlin’s honest message to Paul Skenes');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Mike-Tomlins-honest-message-to-Paul-Skenes.jpg"></figure><h1>Steelers’ Mike Tomlin’s honest message to Paul Skenes</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-13T14:18:19-07:00">September 13th, 2:18pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-13T15:14:20-07:00">September 13th, 3:14pm</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is a big fan of Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes. The Pirates visited the Steelers on Thursday, and the 17-year NFL head coach congratulated <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pirates-news-paul-skenes-breaks-franchise-record-stood-nearly-90-years">Skenes for his record-breaking rookie season</a> thus far. Tomlin also shared why he respects the 22-year-old pitcher, per the Pirates’ X, formerly Twitter account.</p><p>“Much respect. Congrats on your success, man,” Tomlin said. “Keep living it. How are you enjoying it thus far, Pittsburgh? All the best to you, man. [I’m a] big fan, much respect. I love your professional approach that I hear about on days that you work. How you go to the stadium, love it. Respect. My man, have a good one.”</p><p>Another cool moment during the visit was when Skenes swapped jerseys with Steelers pass-rusher T.J. Watt. The two swapped gifts as Watt offered Skenes <a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/paul-skenes-t-j-watt-swapping-jerseys-became-an-awesome-pittsburgh-moment" rel="noopener">a game-word No. 90 jersey</a> and a signed Steelers back-and-gold jersey, per Sports Illustrated’s Kristen Wong.</p><p>“Looks like it’ll fit,” Watt told Skenes, holding up one jersey.</p><p>“Oh yeah, I’ll wear that,” Skenes replied.</p><p>“I gotta get some Pirates’ s*** at some point,” Watt said.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/what-paul-skenes-must-do-beat-jackson-merrill-2024-nl-roy-award">Skenes, an NL Rookie of the Year candidate</a>, is 10-2 with a 2.10 ERA for the Pirates this season. Mike Tomlin and the Steelers won their season opener 18-10 against the Atlanta Falcons. They will face the Denver Broncos on Sunday.</p><h2><b>Paul Skenes breaks Pirates’ franchise record </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Pirates-star-rookie-Paul-Skenes.jpg"><figcaption>Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Despite the Pirates’ 70-76 record, falling to last place in the NL Central division, Paul Skenes is having an elite rookie season. In the Pirates’ 3-2 win against the Miami Marlins on Monday, Skenes finished with nine strikeouts. He has 151 strikeouts this season, setting a franchise record for most strikeouts in a single season.</p><p>“I think that just goes to the quality of his stuff,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “This kid’s got elite stuff, and he’s going to strike out a lot of people throughout his career.”</p><p>The Pirates’ No. 1 overall pick out of LSU baseball has been their silver lining from a disastrous regular season. He broke a franchise record that stood for almost 90 years, surpassing Cy Banton’s 150 strikeouts set in 1935.</p><p>Skenes received a standing ovation at the end of the sixth inning of Monday’s win.</p><p>“That’s pretty dang cool every time,” Skenes said. “So, yeah, just keep showing up for the games. And hopefully, I mean, the goal is to keep giving them moments like that.”</p><p>The Pirates begin their three-game series against the Kansas City Royals on Friday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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