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Cincinnati Reds, Pirates in MLB betting clash
Two teams picked to bookend the NL Central Division standings this season continue their four-game series in Cincinnati on Sunday with Game 3 between the Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates.
First pitch at what should be a breezy Great American Ball Park is 10:10 a.m. (PT).
Cincinnati is living up to preseason odds to repeat at the top of the division while Pittsburgh is getting help avoiding the cellar of the NL Central so far from Houston. The Pirates are also proving to be road warriors in the early going, winning five of their seven away from Iron City following Friday's 6-1 win in Cincinnati to get the series started.
Charlie Morton choked Reds hitters with a five-hit complete game for the Bucs who were 170 underdogs. Neil Walker and Garrett Jones each homered to provide the offense.
The win left Pittsburgh 6-7 overall, 5-2 on the road heading into Saturday's contest. The Pirates have been 'dogs in all seven away games, good enough for nearly a six-unit return when not playing at PNC Park. Cincy fell to 8-5 on the season and saw its lead shrink to a game over Milwaukee. Reds backers were up about 1.5 units on the season.
Saturday's second game had yet to have MLB odds posted due to some injury issues creating a pitching change that will carry over to Sunday's contest. James McDonald was scheduled to start for the Pirates while Cincinnati's Mike Leake was being bumped forward a day.
Leake's shift to Saturday was due to Edinson Volquez experiencing a sore neck. Volquez will now pitch Sunday opposite Pittsburgh's Jeff Karstens, who is making his first start of the season in place of Ross Ohlendorf who hit the DL earlier this week due to a strained shoulder.
Karstens' three relief appearances thus far in 2011 have yielded no runs for the opposition in 5 2/3 innings. He worked 3 1/3 frames at home in relief of Ohlendorf on April 8, the Bucs rallying from a 3-0 hole to eventually win the game in 14 innings, 4-3.
The right-hander moved back and forth from the Pittsburgh rotation to the bullpen in 2010, starting 19 of his 26 games. One of the starts was against the Reds, a loss for Karstens and the Pirates. He also worked eight innings out of the 'pen against Cincinnati and allowed eight runs combined in those appearances.
Volquez (3-0, 5.82) would be garnering early NL Cy Young votes if not for his first-inning struggles. The Dominican has allowed at least two earned runs in the first frame of all three of his starts, but the Reds have battled back from the early deficits to win each time.
A late start to the 2010 season only allowed Volquez to make one start against the Pirates, but it was a dandy. The right-hander worked seven scoreless innings at home, giving up just one hit and a walk while striking out 10. Cincinnati's bullpen unraveled to leave Volquez with a no decision for his effort, though the Reds still managed to grab a 5-4 victory in 10 innings.
Mother Nature is expected to give balls heading out to left-center extra help with 20-30 mph winds from the WSW in the forecast. The afternoon high in Porkopolis is expected to reach the mid-to-low 60s with the skies partly cloudy.
Derryl Cousins, now in his 33rd season calling games in the bigs, will have plate duty on Sunday. He's 21-15-2 'over' going back to the start of the 2010 season, but 7-2 'under' in games with totals of nine or higher in that span.
The wrap-around series concludes Monday when Pittsburgh is scheduled to send right-hander Kevin Correia to the mound against lefty Travis Wood for Cincinnati.
Two teams picked to bookend the NL Central Division standings this season continue their four-game series in Cincinnati on Sunday with Game 3 between the Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates.
First pitch at what should be a breezy Great American Ball Park is 10:10 a.m. (PT).
Cincinnati is living up to preseason odds to repeat at the top of the division while Pittsburgh is getting help avoiding the cellar of the NL Central so far from Houston. The Pirates are also proving to be road warriors in the early going, winning five of their seven away from Iron City following Friday's 6-1 win in Cincinnati to get the series started.
Charlie Morton choked Reds hitters with a five-hit complete game for the Bucs who were 170 underdogs. Neil Walker and Garrett Jones each homered to provide the offense.
The win left Pittsburgh 6-7 overall, 5-2 on the road heading into Saturday's contest. The Pirates have been 'dogs in all seven away games, good enough for nearly a six-unit return when not playing at PNC Park. Cincy fell to 8-5 on the season and saw its lead shrink to a game over Milwaukee. Reds backers were up about 1.5 units on the season.
Saturday's second game had yet to have MLB odds posted due to some injury issues creating a pitching change that will carry over to Sunday's contest. James McDonald was scheduled to start for the Pirates while Cincinnati's Mike Leake was being bumped forward a day.
Leake's shift to Saturday was due to Edinson Volquez experiencing a sore neck. Volquez will now pitch Sunday opposite Pittsburgh's Jeff Karstens, who is making his first start of the season in place of Ross Ohlendorf who hit the DL earlier this week due to a strained shoulder.
Karstens' three relief appearances thus far in 2011 have yielded no runs for the opposition in 5 2/3 innings. He worked 3 1/3 frames at home in relief of Ohlendorf on April 8, the Bucs rallying from a 3-0 hole to eventually win the game in 14 innings, 4-3.
The right-hander moved back and forth from the Pittsburgh rotation to the bullpen in 2010, starting 19 of his 26 games. One of the starts was against the Reds, a loss for Karstens and the Pirates. He also worked eight innings out of the 'pen against Cincinnati and allowed eight runs combined in those appearances.
Volquez (3-0, 5.82) would be garnering early NL Cy Young votes if not for his first-inning struggles. The Dominican has allowed at least two earned runs in the first frame of all three of his starts, but the Reds have battled back from the early deficits to win each time.
A late start to the 2010 season only allowed Volquez to make one start against the Pirates, but it was a dandy. The right-hander worked seven scoreless innings at home, giving up just one hit and a walk while striking out 10. Cincinnati's bullpen unraveled to leave Volquez with a no decision for his effort, though the Reds still managed to grab a 5-4 victory in 10 innings.
Mother Nature is expected to give balls heading out to left-center extra help with 20-30 mph winds from the WSW in the forecast. The afternoon high in Porkopolis is expected to reach the mid-to-low 60s with the skies partly cloudy.
Derryl Cousins, now in his 33rd season calling games in the bigs, will have plate duty on Sunday. He's 21-15-2 'over' going back to the start of the 2010 season, but 7-2 'under' in games with totals of nine or higher in that span.
The wrap-around series concludes Monday when Pittsburgh is scheduled to send right-hander Kevin Correia to the mound against lefty Travis Wood for Cincinnati.
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