PITTSBURGH vs. ATLANTA 8/31/2018 MLB Odds, Pick & Preview

The Pittsburgh Pirates won 11 games in a row in July, but that success is only a fading memory heading into the opener of a three-game road series Friday at the Atlanta Braves. The Pirates fell 5-0 on Thursday at St. Louis – their 20th defeat in the past 32 games – and stand at 2-4 on their current nine-game road trip as they head to Atlanta to face a team that leads the National League East by three games and completed a three-game sweep in Pittsburgh last week.

Catcher Francisco Cervelli has reached base in 13 consecutive games for Pittsburgh after going 1-for-4 on Thursday and is hitting .298 in that stretch while left fielder Adam Frazier is batting .344 with 12 doubles and four homers since returning from the minors July 25. Atlanta has dropped two of three to begin a nine-game homestand, losing 5-4 on Thursday to the Chicago Cubs. Rookie outfielder Ronald Acuna continues bolstering his case for NL Player of the Month, finishing 3-for-5 with two runs scored Thursday to raise his average to .339 with 10 homers, 20 RBIs and 24 runs scored in August. Catcher Kurt Suzuki, who doubled and drove home a run, has hits in 10 of his past 11 games with four doubles, a homer, four RBIs and seven runs scored.

TV: 7:35 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet – Pittsburgh, FS South (Atlanta)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Jameson Taillon (10-9, 3.49 ERA) vs. Braves RH Anibal Sanchez (6-5, 3.05)

Taillon looks to end August with another strong outing after going 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP in his first four turns this month. The 26-year-old has pitched to a 2.54 ERA in seven starts since the All-Star break after posting a 3.91 ERA in the first half and allowed only one run in six innings in each of his past two starts (a no-decision Aug. 19 against the Cubs and a win Saturday against Milwaukee). Taillon, who has never faced Atlanta, has surrendered three earned runs or fewer in 16 consecutive starts.

Sanchez lost his past two outings despite giving up just four runs on nine hits in 12 1/3 innings, in part because the Atlanta offense scored only three runs combined against Colorado on Aug. 19 and Miami on Saturday. The 34-year-old has regressed a bit in the second half, allowing six homers while posting a 3.82 ERA in 37 2/3 innings after allowing just seven home runs and owning a 2.60 ERA in 65 2/3 innings before the All-Star break. Sanchez is 3-5 with a 3.62 career ERA in eight starts against Pittsburgh.

WALK-OFFS

1. Acuna’s 38 hits in August is the most by a Braves’ 20-year-old since Hank Aaron collected 37 in July of 1954.

2. Pittsburgh OF Gregory Polanco has recorded at least one RBI in four of his past six games. He has also collected at least one hit in eight of his past 10 games is batting .325 in that span.

3. The Braves outscored the Pirates 9-2 in sweeping the three-game series last week.

PREDICTION: Braves 4, Pirates 3