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In the battle of the National League East and West, the Philadelphia Phillies are taking on the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday.
Going into the final stages before the playoffs, the Phillies are looking to win all their remaining games to keep their playoff hopes alive. They have a decent home/away record of 70-55. Currently placed third in the NL East behind the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves, the Phillies have a significant challenge at hand.
As the league has entered its final quarter of games, the situation for many teams, including Philly, has become dicey.
"Complete game: shutout. Brooms: out. Phils: win." - Phillies
After a scintillating win yesterday, the Phillies look to carry that momentum into today's matchup.
The Pirates, on the other hand, should accept their season as a total disaster. They are at the bottom of the NL Central with a 47-77 record where the home record is bad and the away record is even worse. Their PCT stands at .379, and they are on an 8-2 losing streak. It seems like there is no way out for them as they look ready to hand over another easy win to the Philadelphia team.
If nothing else, the Pirates can give their best to their fans. They have had some solid performances this season, even with such an overall poor campaign. For entertainment purposes, they can act as party spoliers. Beating a team like the Phillies, who are in the race for the playoffs, could be a major upset.
Philadelphia Phillies vs Pittsburgh Pirates Match Details
Fixture: Philadelphia Phillles @ Pittsburgh Pirates
Date & Time: Friday, August 26, 7:05 p.m. EDT
Venue: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia Phillies vs Pittsburgh Pirates Odds
Philadelphia Phillies vs Pittsburgh Pirates Pick
Without a doubt, Aaron Nola has to be the pick of the game. As the lone pitcher for the Phillies in the game yesterday, Nola was simply magnificent. He rampaged through the entire Pirates team. With a total of 11 strikeouts to his name, he gave simply sensational performance. Against a struggling team like Pittsburgh, expect a similar kind of showing from Aaron Nola tonight. He's a strong pick!
Philadelphia Phillies Vs Pittsburgh Pirates Predictions
Looking at all the factors involved in today's game, the Phillies look absolute favorites to win this one. For the Pirates, all they can do is focus on ending the season on a positive note. There are still a lot of matches left to be played, so certainly a lot of pride to play for.
Pick/Prediction: Philadelphia Phillies -1.5 (-135).
