The Pirates have been wating a long time for this moment. They will get to play in the National League Wild Card game for their first playoff appearance since 1992. They will be playing for their home crowd, in a playoff game, against Johnny Cueto and the Reds. Those dreaded Reds, huh? Seem to pop up all the time for the Pirates, in the good and the bad.
Johnny Cueto has been exceptional aginst the Pirates this season, going 1-0 with a 0.73 ERA in two starts against Pittsburgh. He has done a superb job quieting the hitters in Pittsburgh, and looks to do it again tonight. He has gone 5-2 with a 2.82 ERA overall in 11 starts this season.
He'll be going against Fransico Liriano, who has gone 0-3 with a 3.70 ERA against the Reds. But, in PNC Park overall, Liriano has gone 8-1 with a 1.47 ERA in 11 starts. He has been great at home, which could be the deciding factor for this game which I believe will be based on pitching.
My prediction:
I think the Pirates at home is a pretty safe bet, especially since they're playing behind Liriano, their home crowd, and everything that's going on. PNC will be electric, and I think that is what boosts Andrew McCutchen and the Pirates to a 3-2 victory over the Reds. I think they will be playing in the National League Division Series.
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