Mets vs. Pirates Prediction and Odds for Monday, Sept. 5 (Keller and Walker Keep it Low-Scoring in Pittsburgh)

UPDATE: The New York Mets-Pittsburgh Pirates matchup on Monday has been postponed due to rain.

The New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates kick-off the labor day action this year with a 12:35 p.m. EST start at PNC Park. It’s the unofficial last day of summer and the Pirates are still searching for their 50th win. They are beginning to give a real run at the worst record in the league. They are only two games better than Washington. 

The Mets are 85-50, the third best record in baseball, but are coming off of two straight losses to the Nationals at home. This is a weak stretch in New York’s schedule and they need to take advantage of it to hold off Atlanta who are just one game back. 

Taijuan Walker goes for New York and Mitch Keller takes the mound for Pittsburgh. 

Mets vs. Pirates Odds, Run Line and Total

Mets vs. Pirates Prediction and Pick

Like I said, it’s crucial for the Mets to capitalize on this stretch of their schedule. Seven of their final nine series this season are against teams under .500 and this is the first of seven remaining games against Pittsburgh. 

The bad news is that they have lost four of Taijuan Walker’s last five starts. He has not been particularly bad over that stretch, his ERA was 2.79 at the beginning of it and is now 3.35, but the damage was all done in one bad inning against Atlanta on Aug. 5. 

Walker should pitch well enough against a brutally bad Pirates lineup. Pittsburgh has the 28th offense in OPS over the past 15 days and has scored the 28th most runs over that stretch. The Pirates just aren’t hitting the ball well enough and have only scored five total runs over their past four games, all losses. 

Miraculously, Mitch Keller has become the Pirates pitcher that I might trust the most. He still has his share of disasters, but when he is good he seems to win the Pirates games. Keller has a 4.43 ERA but a 3.93 fielding independent pitching that is barely behind Walker’s 3.73 FIP. I think Keller keeps it manageable today, but I can’t bet on Pittsburgh to upset with its offense. 

Pick: Under 8.5 (-110)

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