Pittsburgh Pirates vs Philadelphia Phillies Prediction: Can Pirates Get the Better of Ranger Suarez, Phillies?
The Philadelphia Phillies host the Pittsburgh Pirates for game two of their series. Can the Pirates get the better of Ranger Suarez and the Phillies tonight? Ben Rajavuori breaks down this game.
Ben Rajavuori - September 27, 2023, 4:40 PM EDT
5 minPittsburgh Pirates vs Philadelphia Phillies Prediction: Can Pirates Get the Better of Ranger Suarez, Phillies?
The Philadelphia Phillies host the Pittsburgh Pirates tonight for game two of a three-game series from Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies won game one yesterday, officially clinching a postseason spot in the wild card. It is too late to catch the Atlanta Braves at the top of the division, but the Phillies still look like one of the better teams in the National League, even in a wild-card position. After clinching last night, will the Phillies stay motivated today?
Pirates vs. Phillies Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: September 27, 2023
- Game Time: 6:40 pm ET
- Where to Watch: MLB.TV
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Philadelphia Phillies Prediction
While the Tampa BayRays are still playing for the top spot in the AL East to get out of the wild card, the Phillies do not have the same opportunity. The Phillies will be in the wild card no matter what, but they also have a unique position in that they cannot move from their spot. The Arizona Diamondbacks can only tie, and they lost the regular-season series against the Phillies, so the Phillies have officially locked up the top spot. With no more motivation to win games, except for momentum going into the games that matter, the Phillies can coast. Even then with my second point, a lot of teams typically give the "bigger" name players at least one game or two after clinching, then they get them back in for the final few games so they stay fresh for the playoffs.
Tonight, that is the case for the Phillies, as they have left some regulars out of the lineup. Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, Alec Bohm, J.T. Realmuto, and Nick Castellanos all have the game off tonight, which is a significant chunk of the Phillies' usual lineup. On the other side, the Pirates may not be motivated by the playoffs, but this is a game to beat a good team on the road, and with a young team like the Pirates, they will take the wins that they can get. They were not in a position for the playoffs yesterday, either, but they fought to a close, extra-innings loss.
The Pirates have a full lineup tonight with a few of their newer young guns in the lineup who are all trying to make their case to start on the opening roster next year. The Pirates have actually shown some life down the stretch, despite being eliminated, going 11-9 over their last 20 games.
The pitching matchup is actually pretty even tonight between Johan Oviedo and Ranger Suarez. Suarez has actually been worse at home this year with a 4.99 ERA in Philadelphia. Oviedo has a 3.44 ERA in September. I like the Pirates to steal one on the road here and probably lose tomorrow and still lose the series. Tomorrow is the Phillies' home closer for the season (regular season), so all the usuals will be back in the lineup tomorrow. Today is a celebration.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Philadelphia Phillies Pick
Pick: Pirates ML +114 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds for this pick
MLB Odds
