Atlanta Braves vs. Pittsburgh Pirates prediction and odds Tue., 8/23: Pirates seek first win of season vs. Braves

Yardbarker Quick Pick

This feels like a relatively easy choice, as we'll see two teams on different ends of the standings. While we're intrigued by JT Brubaker's strikeouts, we're a bit worried he won't get the time to get there, as Atlanta is hitting righties at the seventh-best rate over the past 30 days. The Pirates have had plenty of issues against LHPs this season, and Max Fried is pitching extremely well for Atlanta of late, allowing four total runs in his last three starts. We'll be loading up on Atlanta -2 in what feels like a mismatch. — Griffin Carroll, Yardbarker

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7:05 p.m. ET
Atlanta Braves: -2 (-114) spread, +265 moneyline, over 7.5 (-115)
Pittsburgh Pirates: +2 (-105) spread, +225 moneyline, under 7.5 (+100)

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"It's never the way you draw it up," Snitker said. "There's always going to be a stumbling block or something in a game, things like that."

A victory on Tuesday would match an Atlanta season high with eight road wins in a row and would clinch a fifth straight series win.

Overall, the Braves have won 12 of 14.

Pittsburgh has lost three in row and nine of 11.

One bright spot for the Pirates on Monday came off the bat of Oneil Cruz. The rookie shortstop hit his 10th homer, a seemingly mile-high shot to right for the team's lone run, after entering the series in a 6-for-47 (.128) slump over 13 games.

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"(The homer) shows results of the hard work that I'm putting in," Cruz said through an interpreter. "My mindset is always to get the barrel out quick. Every time I get up there, I'm trying to go up there with a plan."

Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton said inconsistency is to be expected.

"The big thing is, he's still a rookie. And he's still a 6-foot-7 rookie playing shortstop, which no one has ever done," Shelton said of Cruz. "So there is going to be a lot of those growing pains."

In the middle game of the series Tuesday, Atlanta left-hander Max Fried (11-4, 2.60 ERA) is slated to oppose Pittsburgh right-hander JT Brubaker (3-10, 4.19).

Brubaker is coming off one of the best performances by a Pirates starter this year. He got a win on Thursday against the Boston Red Sox when he pitched seven shutout innings of two-hit ball, striking out seven without issuing a walk.

The 8-2 win was important because it snapped Pittsburgh's six-game losing streak. Brubaker might have gone longer if not for a blister on his right hand that festered but was not severe enough to keep him from the Tuesday start.

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"Just the idea of ... attacking the zone," Brubaker said. "It's really just pace and it's momentum, just with your body, how your body is rolling out there on the mound. It's a lot easier when you get it from pitch one to continue it throughout the game."

Against Atlanta, Brubaker has lost both of his career starts while producing a 7.30 ERA. That includes a loss on June 9, when he gave up three runs and six hits in seven innings.

Fried is coming off a win on Thursday against the New York Mets, when he gave up two runs and four hits in seven innings with six strikeouts and no walks.

In his career, Fried is 2-1 with a 5.32 ERA in four career starts vs. the Pirates. That includes a 3-1 win on June 9, when he yielded one run and eight hits in six innings with eight strikeouts and no walks.

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