The San Francisco Giants are motoring in a tense NL West race — and they’ll put their four-game win streak on the line this afternoon as they wrap up their series with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Giants have edged the first two contests in this three-game set thanks to clutch late hitting. They rallied with a three-run burst in the seventh inning on Friday and Michael Conforto stepped up with a game-winning single in the eighth inning last night.
With just one win from their last seven outings, the Pirates’ stumbling form has made a Wild Card spot highly unlikely. The hosts didn’t help themselves yesterday, turning seven hits into just one run to waste a strong outing from starter Johan Oviedo.
Find out more in our free MLB betting picks for Giants vs. Pirates on July 16.
Giants vs Pirates odds
Giants vs Pirates predictions
In July, it’s been largely quality pitching and clutch hits that have kept San Francisco on the heels of the Dodgers and Diamondbacks in a fascinating divisional battle. For the most part, the offense has done just enough to eke out wins.
But there were encouraging signs on Friday night as the Giants thumped 10 hits in their 6-4 victory, and I see the bats making more noise this afternoon in a matchup against Pittsburgh’s rookie starter Osvaldo Bido.
Bido will have his hands full against a savvy San Francisco lineup that ranks in the top half of the league in runs, homers, and walks. That could spell trouble given some of the rookie’s short outings this year.
Conforto, Wilmer Flores, and Luis Matos had two-hit nights on Friday, and Mike Yastrzemski mashed an early dinger in yesterday’s win.
Despite only reaching the five-run mark in three of their past eight outings, I expect the visitors to pounce on the chance to sweep the series and continue their playoff push.
My best bet: Giants team total Over 4.5 (-135 at bet365)
Giants vs Pirates same-game parlay
Giants TT Over 4.5 (-135)
Giants -1.5 (+110)
Patrick Bailey Over 1.5 total bases (+145)
With the Diamondbacks dropping games in Toronto this weekend, the Giants can climb to second in the NL West here, and I like the -1.5 run line with steady veteran Alex Wood taking the ball for San Francisco.
Though the Pittsburgh bats had success against him back in late May, the hosts’ lineup is currently in the midst of a rough patch. With four straight losses at PNC Park, it’s hard to put much faith in the Pirates to right the ship here.
Meanwhile, Bailey has been a revelation in his rookie season, with a .282 average and an 11-game hit streak in June. He was at the center of the Giants’ Friday night comeback win and I’m counting on another productive day for him at the plate today,
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Giants vs Pirates moneyline and Over/Under analysis
The Giants are a steady road team (25-19 in 2023) and that’s been on full display in this series, with the visitors holding their nerve and coming up with critical late hits.
With Wood’s experience edge over Bido, San Francisco is a clear favorite to complete a series sweep this afternoon. It helps that the visitors have won 33 of their last 51 games, and Wood has found his best stuff on the road this season, with his ERA dropping to 3.04 away from Oracle Park.
Pittsburgh is 2-8 in its last 10 games, and the offense has lost some pop with Andrew McCutchen on the IL. The San Francisco bullpen has had the upper hand in this series and that group is well-placed to lock down a lead, though the quick turnaround for today’s early start may require some reshuffling for manager Gabe Kapler.
While I like the Giants’ offense to come alive this afternoon, the Pirates have scored four runs or fewer in each of their last seven contests. As a result, it’s a little surprising to see the total line as high as 9.
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Trend to know
Despite San Francisco’s impressive recent form, the Under is 7-3 in the Giants’ last 10 outings. Find more MLB betting trends for Giants vs. Pirates
Giants vs Pirates game info
| Location: | PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA |
| Date: | Sunday, July 16, 2023 |
| First pitch: | 12:05 p.m. ET |
| TV: | Peacock |
Starting pitchers
Alex Wood (4-3, 4.68 ERA): Wood has had an up-and-down run over the past month but was solid in his last outing, holding the Rockies scoreless through five innings of work. Prior to that, he was chased in the second inning by the Mets.
Osvaldo Bido (1-1, 4.44 ERA): The Pirates rookie has five starts under his belt this year but his last start came on July 5 (he pitched in relief last weekend). Bido has made it to the end of the sixth inning just once this season.
