Pirates vs. Padres prediction and odds for Wednesday, July 26
Finally, the San Diego Padres have defeated the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates after four failed attempts.
Today, the Pirates enter the rubber match leading the season series 4-1 despite a 5-1 loss last night. The Padres need to decide whether to buy or to sell at the trade deadline and to be buyers they need to take care of business in the rubber match against the Pirates.
San Diego is stuck under .500 at 49-53, and Seth Lugo will try to get them one step closer to a winning record today. He will be opposed by Johan Oviedo who will make his 21st start for the 44-57 Pirates.
Lugo is 4-4 with a 3.72 ERA in 13 starts while Oviedo has a 4.77 ERA and comes into this one at 3-11.
Let’s take a look at the odds for the final game of Pittsburgh’s west coast road trip.
Yesterday, the Padres defeated the Pirates, but it wasn’t because they dominated Pittsburgh starter Rich Hill, it was because they got to the bullpen once Hill was done.
Hill did surrender two runs on seven hits, but the bullpen allowed the cushion to be created and that bullpen has been a problem for Pittsburgh.
As a staff, the Pirates are 29th in ERA this month at 5.68 and their bullpen has an ERA of 3.83 over that stretch. They have one of the worst bullpens in baseball for the season ranking 22nd in ERA, but lately they have been better.
This month Pittsburgh’s starters have been much, much worse. They have an ERA of 7.25 which is by far the worst in baseball. Oviedo has been a part of those struggles and shouldn’t be trusted in this one.
This all lines up well for the Padres to take another win.
Juan Soto homered yesterday and has been good lately, but it’s Manny Machado who is swinging the hottest bat this month.
Machado has a 1.161 OPS in July and as a team their .810 OPS in July is third best. Pittsburgh ranks 29th. The Padres finally found a way to beat the Pirates yesterday and they’ll do it again in the series finale.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change
