Phillies vs Pirates Odds, Picks, and Probable Pitchers (August 1)
- The Philadelphia Phillies are -145 road favorites over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday
- Newly acqired Kyle Gibson (5-3, 2.87) will start for the Phillies against Mitch Keller (3-7, 7.04)
- The odds and pitching matchup can be found below along with a prediction.
Cross-state rivals wrap up a three-game series when the Philadelphia Phillies visit the Pittsburgh Pirates at 1:05 p.m. ET Sunday at PNC Park.
The Phillies (51-53 overall/20-32 road) had lost the first two games this series, including 3-2 on Saturday.. They have also dropped four of their last five.
The Pirates (40-64 overall/23-29 home) had lost four of five and eight of 11 before beating the Phillies twice.
Phillies vs Pirates Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Phillies | -145 | -1.5 (+115) | Over 9 (-110) |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | +125 | +1.5 (-135) | Under 9 (-110) |
Odds as of July 31st at DraftKings.
The moneyline opened at -145 and has held steady.
Probable Pitchers
Kyle Gibson (6-3, 2.87) will be making his Phillies’ debut as he faces fellow right-hander Mitch Keller (3-7, 7.04).
The Phillies acquired Gibson from the Texas Rangers on Friday just before the MLB trade deadline. Also Friday, the Pirates recalled Keller from Triple-A Indianapolis and he will be making his first major league start since June 10.
Gibson vs Keller
| 6-3 | Record | 3-7 |
| 2.87 | ERA | 7.04 |
| 3.69 | xERA | 5.93 |
| 1.17 | WHIP | 1.79 |
| 2.29 | SO/W | 1.76 |
Gibson started off the season 6-0 for the Rangers and was selected to the All-Star Game for the first time in his nine-year career.
However, Gibson struggled in his final three starts, losing them all while compiling a 7.79 ERA. The Phillies, though, feel he can be the missing piece as they try to overtake the New York Mets in the National League East race.
#Phillies President David Dombrowski says he thinks the Phillies can win the NL East after trades to improve their rotation and bullpen with Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy pic.twitter.com/KhAMaizI0Y
— Jeff Skversky (@JeffSkversky) July 30, 2021
He had a career-high eight walks in six innings in his last outing on July 24 against the Astros at Houston. Yet he was charged with just three runs (two earned) while allowing four hits striking out four.
Gibson had 13 quality starts in 19 rotations turns this season for the Rangers. He was 1-2 with a 3.95 ERA in 10 road games and 2-1 with a 3.10 ERA in seven starts during the day.
Gibson will be facing the Pirates for the first time in his career.
Keller was optioned to Indianapolis after getting tagged for four runs in 2.2 innings by the Los Angeles Dodgers. In eight games (six starts) for Indy, he went 1-1 with a 3.21 ERA.
Keller has not had a quality start in 12 outings in the big leagues this season. He also not pitched more than 5.2 innings in any start.
Perhaps he needs a hug.
I’m not sure what’s going to come of Derek Shelton as a major league manager or Mitch Keller as a major league starter, but if either of them is ever a part of paying off on the promise to turn the Pirates around, this is going to be a special moment to look back on. pic.twitter.com/PNpCMOQ7Z4
— Chris Mack (@THEChrisMack) April 11, 2021
At PNC Park, Keller has struggled mightily in 2021, going 2-5 with an 8.48 ERA in eight starts. Day games have also been a problem as he has a 1-5 record and 7.14 ERA in seven starts.
Keller will be facing the Phillies for the second time in his career. He was rocked for eight runs in four innings in a loss in 2019.
Hoskins Tough If Healthy
Keller does not much history against the Phillies. However, Rhys Hoskins has doubled, triple and walked in three career plate appearances.
Hoskins, though, has sat out the first two games of the series with a strained right groin. He may to play Sunday.
Batting Average vs Starting Pitchers
| Phillies Batters | Batting Average vs Bryse Wilson |
|---|---|
| Rhys Hoskins | 1.000 |
| Bryce Harper | .667 |
| J.T. Realmuto | .333 |
| Jean Segura | .250 |
| Brad Miller | .000 |
| Pirates Batters | Batting Average vs Kyle Gibson |
| Ben Gamel | .286 |
Left fielder Andrew McCutchen’s status for Sunday is also in doubt. He left Saturday’s game after six innings with right knee stiffness.
Left fielder Ben Gamel is the only player on the Pirates’ active roster who has faced Gibson, going 2 for 7 with two doubles.
2 HR, 6 RBI tonight for Ben Gamel! 💪 pic.twitter.com/NxcFjSF4Zq
— MLB (@MLB) July 6, 2021
Gamel hit .333 in July over 25 games with four home runs and 11 RBIs.
Phillies-Pirates Pick
Gibson’s season had taken a sudden downturn in his last few weeks with the Rangers. However, a change of scenery could produce a change of results, especially facing one of the worst teams in the major leagues.
Pick: Phillies -145
John Perrotto has been covering and writing about sports for various outlets for over 40 years. His work has appeared in the likes of USA TODAY, ESPN.com, SI.com, Forbes.com, The Associated Press, Baseball Digest, and more. John is based out of Beaver Falls, PA.
