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The Pittsburgh Pirates will host the first of a three-game set against the Cleveland Indians on Friday, June 18th. Cleveland will enter on a four-game winning streak with a sweep of the Baltimore Orioles to improve to 38-28 on the season, 3.5 games behind the Chicago White Sox for the top spot in the American League Central. On the other side, the Pirates are on a 10-game losing streak and were swept in three consecutive series. They have fallen to 23-44 for the third worst record in the MLB.
Indians vs. Pirates, 7:05 p.m. ET
Moneyline pick: Indians -137
These teams are going in complete opposite directions right now, and Cleveland is going to be worth the price as the moneyline favorite in this spot. The Indians will start with Jean Carlos Mejia on the mound, but he has only appeared in six games this season including three short starts and has a 4.26 ERA. The Pirates will start with Chad Kuhl, and he has not done much to prove he can handle a quality opponent like Cleveland. Through seven starts, he has a 6.52 ERA with an 0-4 record.
Player Prop: Chad Kuhl U4.5 strikeouts (-155)
Pittsburgh’s starting pitcher has finished with two or less strikeouts in four of his seven starts this season, and he is going up against a team that does not strike out much. The Indians rank No. 27 in total strikeouts among 30 MLB teams. Additionally, in the four-game series against Baltimore, an Orioles starter finished with more than three strikeouts just one time against this Cincinnati lineup.
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