Astros vs Pirates Picks & Odds (April 12)
- The Astros and Pirates finish up a three-game set on Wednesday
- Jose Urquidy and Rich Hill face off on the mound
- Find the Astros vs Pirates odds, predictions, and starting pitchers, below
An interleague series between the Houston Astros (5-6, 1-3 away) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (6-4, 3-2 home) concludes on Wednesday, April 12th at PNC Park. The first pitch for the rubber match is scheduled for 12:35 PM ET.
Jose Urquidy will take the mound here for the ‘Stros, while the Bucs counter with veteran left-hander Rich Hill. Pittsburgh won the second game of this series on Tuesday thanks to a walk-off homer from Ji Hwan Bae.
Astros vs Pirates Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Astros | -155 | -1.5 (+105) | Ov 9 (-105) |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | +135 | +1.5 (-125) | Un 9 (-115) |
By no surprise, the defending World Series champions are a -155 moneyline favorite and also sit at -1.5 on the runline with +105 odds. The Pirates come back at +135. The total is set at nine. This is only the third meeting between the two teams since 2019.
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Odds as of April 11th at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Houston vs Pittsburgh Probable Pitchers
Urquidy has been relatively solid for Houston early on after an impressive showing at the World Baseball Classic with Mexico. The right-hander owns a 3.86 ERA in two starts, striking out 11 in 9.1 innings while surrendering just two walks.
José Urquidy follows Cristian Javier and Framber Valdez with a quality start!
95 pitches, 63 strikes
5.1 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 Ks
His one earned run came off a wild pitch from Bryan Abreu.pic.twitter.com/qwUsjkIHQn
— Full Seam Ahead (@FullSeamAhead) April 7, 2023
Last time out, Urquidy diced the Twins, tossing 5.1 innings and allowing just one run on seven hits. He does a great job of pounding the strike zone and keeping his defense busy and you can expect a lot of the same on Wednesday. Urquidy has never faced the Bucs in his big-league career, though.
Urquidy vs Hill Stats
| 0-0 | Record | 0-1 |
| 3.86 | ERA | 10.00 |
| 9.1 | Innings Pitched | 9.0 |
| 11 | Strikeouts | 8 |
| 2 | Walks | 2 |
Now 43 years old, age may be catching up with Hill. The southpaw is getting absolutely lit through his first two outings, giving up 10 earned runs in nine frames. His ERA sits at 10.00 at the moment. The White Sox tagged Hill for seven earned on April 7th, including three homers.
In fact, he’s given up five homers in his first two starts. Certainly not a good sign when you’re coming up against an Astros lineup with no shortage of power. On a more positive note, Hill owns a 3.11 ERA lifetime versus Houston in 12 appearances.
Houston Finding Their Way
It hasn’t been a great start to the campaign for Houston, who sit a game below .500. Although the offense is still producing more or less, they’re definitely missing Jose Altuve, who remains out with an injury.
Tuesday’s contest with the Bucs was a wild one. The Astros scored twice in the top of the ninth to tie the game at 4 but as previously mentioned, Pittsburgh walked it off in the bottom half. Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker both had two hits apiece, including a long ball each, too.
Not a Bad Start for Pittsburgh
It’s well known the Pirates are a long way off contending but they’re actually holding their own early on with a 6-4 record. Just a couple of days after losing star shortstop Oneil Cruz to a devastating ankle injury, Pittsburgh banged out 10 hits against a strong Astros pitching staff.
RAISE THE JOLLY ROGER 🏴☠️🏴☠️
JI HWAN BAE WALKS IT OFF FOR THE PIRATES‼️
(via @MLBPipeline)pic.twitter.com/3m0Dk059PC
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) April 12, 2023
Most notably, the Bucs cranked three bombs and none was more significant than Bae’s. He took closer Ryan Pressly deep, a guy who is typically lights out for Houston. Now, the Pirates will be looking to win this series Wednesday with Hill on the bump.
Astros vs Pirates Prediction
Could Pittsburgh really win another against Houston? Absolutely. However, I’d bet on Urquidy dealing. I also expect the ‘Stros to hit around Hill, who has looked brutal thus far. Lock in that moneyline.
Pick: Astros moneyline -155
Quinn Allen is a sports journalist, with a background and education in broadcast journalism (BCIT '17). He is a full-time associate editor at ClutchPoints by day, where he writes about soccer, baseball, basketball, football, and more. At night, Quinn is a frequent contributor at SBD.
