Listen up, sports fans! Our feathered friends the Pirates are stepping up to the dish against the chipper chaps of Cincinnati, the Reds, right at the heart of the Great American Ball Park. This yard is about as welcoming as your mother-in-law's cooking for the pitchers, likely to boost batters' enthusiasm more than the average park.
Donning the gloom for the Pirates will be Mitch Keller, having tossed his caution and the ball in the wind for 29 showings this season—striking ’em out more frequently than your buddy at that singles mixer last weekend. For the Reds, it's Fred Astaire himself, Nick Martínez, toeing the rubber; he lent his arm to the cause 40 times this season with a less uplifting strikeout average but still nothing to sneeze at.
For those banking on the Pirates, their crew includes the likes of Nick Gonzales, Oneil Cruz, and Bryan Reynolds, wielding some impressive batting averages—even Reynolds' 0.276 makes him a more reliable bet than grandma's hip at a slip and slide party. And don't fret, Cincinnati fans, the Reds come packing with the prowess of Tyler Stephenson and Elly De La Cruz.
The blast from the past shows the Pirates holding a slim edge over the Reds in their recent squabbles, but sports, like a snooze button, can't be entirely predicted by past performance. Seasonally speaking, the Reds' regular record narrowly tops that of the Pirates—just enough to stick out like a moose at a meerkat meeting.
Their last few gigs on the diamond though reveal an unfortunate trend for the Reds, with your scorecard reading like my last round of golf: high and painful. The Pirates, on the other hand, might be bobbing on rocky waters with two wins amongst their latest outings.
All being said, I'd say we're going to see the Pirates swashbuckling their way to a two-run victory. Expect Keller to keep his wit about him while his mates swing for the fences.
Albert’s Prediction: Pittsburgh Pirates by 2