Pittsburgh Pirates vs Cincinnati Reds Prediction & Picks - MLB

Prediction published on 8/23/24, 3:57 PM  by Lou Aguila | Modified on 8/23/24 at 4:00 PM in MLB Picks

The Pittsburgh Pirates will go for a 2-0 lead over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday as they try to build on a 7-0 blowout win in Thursday’s series-opener. After a promising start to their season, the Pirates have imploded after the All-Star break and now found themselves at the bottom of their division with a 60-67 record. Over the last 10 games, Pittsburgh has compiled a record of 4-6 while batting .226 with 3.0 runs a game. Although their 3.54 ERA in the last five games is still above league average, letting the Reds score seven runs in a single game encapsulates the team’s inconsistent play from the mound recently. Meanwhile, the Reds are fourth in the NL Central division with a 62-66 card, and yet they only trail the No.2 team in their division, the St. Louis Cardinals, by 1.5 games. Cincinnati has produced 4.5 runs per game on a .233 batting average and pitched a subpar 5.36 ERA over their previous 10 matches.