Arizona @ PITTSBURGH
Arizona +100 over PITTSBURGH

BEST LINES: Pinnacle +100 Bet365 -110 SportsInteraction -110 5DIMES -110

Posted at 10:30 AM EST.

4:05 PM EST. For a small-market team like the Pirates, economics are always a concern. The team has sought to lock in promising young players to long-term contracts, delaying their eligibility for arbitration and free agency. But it’s only a delay. From reclamation projects like Ricky Martin to local heroes like Neil Walker, the day of reckoning eventually comes. So personnel turnover is going to be a constant feature of clubs like the Pirates. What makes this transition so jarring is that it comes after the 10th-most wins (280) over a three-year run in franchise history, following 20 years of wandering in the wilderness.

However, the tone for this Pirates’ team was set back in spring training when Andrew McCutchen, the team leader, starting whining. McCutchen is the Pirates’ best and most beloved player since the retirement of Willie Stargell but everyone in that Pirates locker room know he’s out the door after this season. His ambiguous comments about his move from centerfield to right suggested immediately that even if the economics of his next contract weren’t a concern, he would be inclined to move on anyway. McCutchen plays everyday but he may as well not be, as he’s there in body only and it’s rubbed off on everyone. The Pirates are perhaps the most beatable team in MLB and perhaps the least motivated too or at least they play like it. The fact that Pittsburgh is favored over the Diamondbacks here makes Arizona an instant play.

Trevor Williams (2-3, 5.93 ERA) replaced James Taillon in the Pirates rotation when the latter was placed on the disabled list and has gone 1-2 with a 6.27 ERA filing in. Those aren’t fantastic numbers and are worse than the figures Williams put up as a long reliever earlier in the season but they do compare favorable to some of the other Pirates’ starters. That’s how messed up this entire Pirates pitching staff is. Williams’ mound opponent will be in a similar situation. Randall Delgado was forced into a starting role when Taijuan Walker landed on the disabled list with a blister on his right index finger on May 21.

Delgado has made some spots starts over the years but hasn’t been a regular member of a rotation since 2013 when he went 5-7 with a 4.26 ERA in 19 starts. He will be making his 50th major league start and the way he handled his last one gave manager Torey Lovullo the confidence to give him the ball again. He’s been locked in and throwing the ball very well,” Lovullo said to Arizona Sports after making the decision on Friday. His last time out, Delgado pitched four innings and allowed two runs (one earned) against the White Sox on Wednesday. He set season highs in innings pitched and pitches thrown (61) after appearing in 15 relief appearances. Delgado can pile up tons of strikeouts. He has two of the most dominant pitches in the game (29% swing and miss rate on his changeup and a 25% swing and miss rate on his slider). We’re not just talking about this year either. Delgado has been throwing filthy stuff for quite some time and now he’s throwing for strikes. In 31 innings this season, Delgado has a BB/K split of 6/27. He is missing bats at an elite clip (13%) and attacking hitters early in counts (65% first-pitch strike rate) and we’re not about to miss this opportunity to fade the Pirates when we have the superior team and pitcher by a wide margin and the more motivated team too. Invest.

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Our Pick

Arizona +100 (Risking 2 units - To Win: 2.00)

Baltimore -1½ +124 over L.A. Angels
San Francisco +100 over San Diego
Toronto +120 over Tampa Bay
Washington +135 over Cincinnati
San Diego under 83½ -105
Boston under 79½ -110