Braves vs. Pirates: Picks, predictions, how to watch Wednesday’s game

The Atlanta Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates square off on Wednesday with first pitch set for 12:35 p.m. ET. The game takes place at PNC Park and will be available to watch on ESPN+. Kyle Wright (15-5, 3.14 ERA) will start for the Braves with Mitch Keller (4-9, 4.49 ERA) on the mound for the Pirates.

Atlanta (77-48) won five of its last six games and cut the New York Mets lead to 2.0 games for the top spot in the National League East. Wright will make his 24th start of the season, and he allowed two runs over six innings in a win over the Houston Astros on Friday. The Braves rank fourth in runs per game (4.9), and Matt Olson has a team-high 83 RBI.

Pittsburgh (47-76) will look to avoid a five-game losing streak on Wednesday afternoon. Keller will make his 24th appearance and 22nd start, and allowed five runs (four earned) over two innings in a loss to the Boston Red Sox on August 16. Pittsburgh ranks 28th in runs per game (3.6), and Bryan Reynolds is the team leader with 20 home runs and 46 RBI.

Braves vs. Pirates

Pitchers: Kyle Wright vs. Mitch Keller
First pitch: 12:35 p.m. ET
Braves local broadcast: Bally Sports South
Pirates local broadcast: AT&T SportsNet-Pittsburgh
Live stream: WatchESPN, ESPN app with an ESPN+ subscription

Odds, picks & predictions

Run Line: Braves -1.5 (-145)
Run total: 8
Moneyline odds: Braves -250, Pirates +210

Moneyline pick: Braves -250

I tried to find some sort of reason to back the Pirates because the Braves have such little value with a -250 payout, but there’s nothing to point to. Atlanta should win this game and keep its winning streak alive, climbing closer to the top spot in the division.

Player prop pick: Kyle Wright over 5.5 strikeouts (+120)

The Braves starter will enter the day with an 8.7 K/9, and Wright should be able to get fairly deep into this outing with how bad the Pirates offense is. Pittsburgh has one of the worst lineups in the MLB, and strike out the second most times per game (9.3). Wright struck out seven Astros hitters in his last start.

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