Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Cleveland Indians Odds, Picks & Predictions: June 24 2009

Free MLB Picks: Pittsburgh Pirates -130 Odds
(Ben Burns MLB Predictions | Touthouse.com)

The Pirates took the loss last night but I won’t be surprised if they’re able to build some momentum from yesterday’s late rally. Down 5-0, the Pirates refused to give up and rallied with four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Even though the defeat was Pittsburgh’s fifth straight loss, note that the first four losses had come on the road. The Pirates are still a solid 17-13 at home this season while the Indians are just 14-23 on the road. Additionally, note that prior to this series, Cleveland had lost six straight games (and allowed 50 runs in those six defeats) before earning the 5-4 victory yesterday.

The Indians’ bullpen, which entered the series with a combined 5.35 ERA on the road, almost did them in again on Tuesday and they’ve got more pitching problems than just the pen tonight. Carl Pavano gets the start for the Tribe and he’s been awful in his last two starts. Indeed, he’s allowed 15 earned runs on 20 hits in his last 9 2/3 innings. Pavano’s neck and shoulder have been bothering him and it looks like he’s coming back down to his “norm” after enjoying some surprising success in April and May this season. Pavano already has made 14 starts this season and, keep in mind; he has not started more than 17 games since the 2004 season. Injuries and overall ineffectiveness have been an issue for Pavano ever since his fine ‘04 season when he pitched for the Marlins. It looks like the “wheels are coming off” for Pavano on the ‘09 season right now.

While Pavano appears to be in “play against” mode right now, Zach Duke of the Pirates is off back to back quality starts. In fact, Duke has produced a quality start in 10 of his 14 outings this season. The southpaw has been very strong at home where he’s 5-2 with a stellar 2.77 ERA and 1.058 WHIP. The Indians have only seen him once (at Cleveland in 2006) in his career and they managed just four hits in seven innings against him. Consider Pittsburgh