The Cincinnati Reds are trying to get into the NL playoff picture as they are currently third in the NL Central with a 60-57 record here. Rookie southpaw Andrew Abbott will be taking the mound in this game and is coming off a losing effort against the Washington Nationals as he pitched 5.2 innings and gave up six runs on nine hits with five walks and three strikeouts.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have a young team that seems to be falling back to earth after a hot start as they are in fourth place in the NL Central with a 52-63 record so far. Young right-hander Johan Oviedo will be taking the pill here and picked up the victory over the Milwaukee Brewers last time out as he pitched seven shutout innings allowing just two hits with three walks and six strikeouts.
Match Details
Fixture: Cincinnati Reds @ Pittsburgh Pirates
Date & Time: Friday, August 11, 7:05 p.m. EDT
Venue PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA
Reds vs Pirates Betting Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
| Cincinnati Reds | -1.5 (+150) | -105 | Over 9 (-110) |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | +1.5 (-180) | -115 | Under 9 (-110) |
Odds Subject to Change**
Reds vs. Pirates Key Stats
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds have been a strong team at the plate this year as they are tied with the Philadelphia Phillies for 11th in the majors with a .743 OPS while scoring 4.82 runs per game. This young team has a lot of speed as they lead MLB with 130 steals while being caught 34 times. First baseman Spencer Steer has been doing very well with a .816 OPS with 18 home runs, 64 RBIs, 56 runs scored, and nine steals on 11 attempts.
Andrew Abbott has been doing a great job throughout his rookie season as he has a 6-3 record while posting a 2.93 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP over the course of 70.2 innings up to this point. Hitters are not doing too well against him as he has a .212 batting average against up to this point of the season. Abbott has never faced the Pirates so it will be interesting to see how he does against a divisional opponent for the first time.
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates have been a struggling offensive team so far this season as they are 24th in MLB with a .702 OPS while averaging 4.19 runs per game up to this point. They have been doing a good job of being patient at the dish as their 393 total walks ranks eighth in baseball. Center fielder Jack Suwinski has been doing well at the plate with a .212/.334/.463 slash line with 21 homers, 53 RBIs, 46 runs scored and eight steals on 10 tries.
Johan Oviedo has been doing a solid job for the Pirates thus far as he has a 6-11 record with a 4.18 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in 23 starts. This is by far the most innings he has thrown at the MLB level as his previous high was 62.1 innings, which he has more than doubled thus far. He has to throw some more strikes as he has 54 walks to 117 strikeouts on the year. Oviedo faced Cincy four times last season and finished 1-0 in 8.2 innings and allowed two runs on four hits with three walks and nine strikeouts.
Reds vs. Pirates Prediction
Since the All-Star break, there has been a bit of a difference on the mound for these teams as Cincinnati is 23rd with a 4.70 team ERA while Pittsburgh is 28th with a 5.19 team ERA. Despite Pittsburgh having a 5-2 record against Cincinnati, they have only scored one more run than the Reds so this should be a close game. Go with Andrew Abbott and the Cincinnati Reds as the better team to pick up a win on Friday night.
