Arizona Diamondbacks vs Pittsburgh Pirates Prediction, 5/20/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Arizona Diamondbacks vs Pittsburgh Pirates

Date: Saturday, May 20, 2023

Location: PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA

TV: AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh

Odds/Point Spread: Arizona (-115) Pittsburgh (-105)

The Arizona Diamondbacks (25-19) are headed to PNC Park on Saturday where they will take on the Pittsburgh Pirates (23-20). The moneyline on this game has the Diamondbacks at -115 while the Pirates are at -105. The total is set at 8.5. The pitchers taking the mound will be Brandon Pfaadt and Roansy Contreras.

Arizona has a slugging rate of .440 and have been called out on strikes 333 times, while taking a walk on 136 occasions. They have accumulated 216 runs batted in in addition to 404 base knocks for the year, while their team batting average is sitting at .270. The Diamondbacks have tallied 91 doubles as a unit and have hit 48 baseballs out of the park. They have tallied 227 runs and hold an on-base percentage of .333. As a team, the Arizona Diamondbacks are scoring 5.2 runs per contest, which puts them at 6th in baseball.

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The Diamondbacks have an earned run average of 4.52 this season (22nd in MLB), and their staff has rung up 364 hitters. Diamondbacks pitchers have allowed 55 home runs and 211 runs (21st in the league). Their pitching staff has walked 154 hitters and their FIP is 4.54 as a team on the campaign. Arizona has allowed 361 hits (8.3 per 9 innings) as well as 196 earned runs. They have a K/BB ratio of 2.36 and their pitching staff has earned a collective WHIP of 1.32.

Diamondbacks bullpen pitchers have stepped onto the hill with runners on base 48 times as well as having 43 appearances in high leverage situations. The bullpen have a total of 22 holds so far this year (16th in baseball). The Diamondbacks relief pitchers have recorded a save rate of 55.0% and stepped onto the hill in 42 save situations. They have earned 11 saves so far this season and have blown 9 of their 20 save opportunities. The relief pitchers have inherited 74 runners for the year and 29.7% of them ended up scoring. The Diamondbacks have dispatched 147 relievers to the hill so far this season.

The Diamondbacks have turned 70.5% of balls in play into outs out of their 3,513 innings on the field, which ranks them 7th in the majors. The Arizona Diamondbacks have accumulated 1,171 putouts this season, in addition to 426 assists and 15 errors. Their fielding percentage sits at .991 which is 3rd in MLB, and they have turned 35 double plays.

Pfaadt (0-1 career win-loss mark) sits with a FIP of 9.24 and he has gone up against 65 hitters in the majors. He has given up 17 base knocks (10.4 hits per 9 innings) and has had 6 walks. His ERA is 8.59 (14 earned runs allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.568. Pfaadt has taken the hill for 14 innings and has accumulated 11 K's in his MLB career.

The Pirates hold a slugging percentage of .399 and they tally 4.28 runs per contest (19th in baseball). They have tallied 82 two-baggers, while getting a free base 159 times as well as scoring 184 runs. Pittsburgh has recorded 41 home runs for the year to go along with 175 runs batted in. They have struck out on 369 instances (21st in the league) and have notched a total of 342 hits. The Pittsburgh Pirates have accumulated an on-base percentage of .322 in addition to a batting average of .242 over the course of the season.

The Pittsburgh pitching staff have surrendered 171 runs this season while having a team ERA of 3.66 (154 earned runs surrendered). They have surrendered 38 long balls and they relinquish 4.07 runs per 9 innings (6th in MLB). The Pirates hold a team WHIP of 1.327 in addition to having a FIP of 3.91 as a team on the season. They currently have a strikeout to walk ratio of 8.80 (369 strikeouts vs 150 bases on balls). They are sitting at 12th in the league as a staff in total hits given up with 352.

Pittsburgh relief pitchers have an inherited score percentage of 22.5% out of their 40 inherited runners. Their bullpen pitchers have come in 34 times in high leverage situations in addition to 25 occasions with base runners. Sitting with 44 save situations, the Pirates have accumulated 25 holds and 5 blown saves. They sit at 5th in the league with a save percentage of 72.2%, and they have sent 123 relievers onto the field on the year. Pittsburgh has had relievers enter the contest in 18 save opportunities and they have recorded 13 saves.

Out of their 3,408 innings on the field, the Pirates have a defensive efficiency of 68.6% (17th in the majors). The Pittsburgh Pirates have gotten 37 double plays and own a fielding percentage of .983 (25th in the majors). The Pirates have accrued 351 assists, 26 errors and have earned 1,136 putouts for the season.

Contreras (8-9 career record) has a 3.90 ERA while surrendering 8.2 hits per nine innings. His strikeout to walk ratio is 2.03 and he has gone up against 613 opposing hitters in his pro baseball career. He has surrendered 62 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.329 and having a FIP of 4.3. In his pro baseball career, Contreras has conceded 130 base hits while totaling 122 strikeouts in 143 innings pitched.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Arizona (-115)

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