MLB - Pittsburgh v Detroit Tigers

12 June 2009

Preview By Tipster Jumbo (New Zealand)

I know that there are many other Series of games that begin today with more Inter-league play this weekend like the Mets and Yanks( I'll do a couple of those over the following days),Boston at Philly(same with that series to) and others but I like this total bet for today's action...

The Tigers roll into Pittsburgh on the same night as the Red Wings are looking to wrap up the Stanley Cup against the Penguins to face off against the Pirates..

The Pirates will look for Ian Snell 1-6 with an era of 5.54 to take on the Tigers first up tonight in Game 1 of this Series,The Pirates behind Snell have won one of his last 3 starts,two starts ago against the Mets 8-5 but the Pirates have lost the other two of his starts against the Astros 4-6 and Cubs 1-6,Snell has numbers in his 3 most recent starts of 0-1 with an era of 7.41,,,Career wise and Snell has faced the Tigers in a single game in which he went 5 innings giving up 4 earned on 7 hits with 2 walks to give hi numbers against the Tigers in that lone start of 0-1 with an era of 7.20.

The Tigers send Rick Porcello 6-4 with an era of 3.98 to the mound looking to get the Tigers off to a good start here tonight, The Tigers have won 2 of Porcellos last 3 starts and won his last start agaisnt the Angels 9-6,the two others games were a loss to the Red Sox 1-5 and a win against the Royals 8-3,Porcello has numbers of 1-1 with an era of 5.28,Porcello has never faced the Pirates before..

Hitters from the Tigers to of had success against Snell:Anderson is 1-4,Cabrera is 2-5 with a Double and HR,Granderson is 1-3,Inge is 1-2 with a Double,Ordonez is 2-2 with a Double.

Hitters from the Pirates to of had success against Porcello:None have faced him before.

Porcello has started in 5 Road games so far this season and is 3-2 in those starts,he has faced the Blue Jays 2-6(L),Mariners 8-2(W),Royals 1-8(L),Indians 5-3(W)and Royals 8-3(W) he averages 5.2 innings per outing and allows on average 2 walks per games and 3 earned runs per game.

Snell has started in 4 Home games against the Braves 10-0(W),Brewers 5-8(L),Rockies 7-4(L) and Mets 8-5(W)..So as you can see the Pirates when Snell starts at home are 2-2, Snell averages 6innings per outing at home and allows on average 3 walks per game and 4 earned Runs per start there.

Right the Pirates are 28-32 on the season and at home are 15-11,they are also in good form going 6-4 in their last 10 and are 3-0 in their most recent 3 home games,they are 23-30 on the overs this season and at home are 14-16 in that regard as well as 6-4 on the over in their last 10 games.The Pirates are also 1-2 in their 3 Inter-league Games so far this Season.

The Tigers are 33-27 on the season and are 16-16 away from home,they are 5-5 in their last 10 and are 3-2 in those last 10 away from home,the Tigers are 3-7 on the overs in their last 10 games , The Tigers are also 1-2 in Inter-league play this season with those 3 games being played back in Detroit.

The Tigers on the season average 4 runs per games while the Pirates average the same,Either sides ERA is over 4.0 on the season and both sides average 9 hits per game,The Tigers are 2-2 in their last 4 played in Pittsburgh and have taken 2 of their last 3 there in the 2006 season.

The Pirates have been going well enough to make a real game of this and I think with the Pirates form at home here that the Tigers will be in a real dogfight,both sides can manufacture runs and the Pirates at home have been very good in recent times while the Tigers as we know can knock in runs of their own...hard to say who will win but I fancy this game to be a high scoring one with the winner being who ever makes the most of their chances...Good Luck.