Cincinnati Reds vs Pittsburgh Pirates Picks and Predictions for Friday, May 1, 2026
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Reds vs Pirates Game Information
The Cincinnati Reds will be on the road Friday night for game 1 of a 3-game set in Pittsburgh inside PNC Park at 6:45 PM against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Cincinnati has 20 wins and 11 losses heading into this matchup, having won 3 of the last 5 after a 2-run victory over the Colorado Rockies. The Pittsburgh Pirates stay home on Friday with 16 wins and 16 losses, riding a long losing streak after being swept across 4 games by the Saint Louis Cardinals. Stay in the loop with our MLB Picks.
Reds Preview
Offensively, Cincinnati has been below average this season with a .220 batting average as the Reds have scored 127 runs on 219 hits. Cincinnati has a .310 OBP and a .384 team slugging percentage. The Cincinnati bullpen has carried them with a 4.02 ERA this season. Elly De La Cruz leads the Cincinnati offense with a .282 batting average and 10 home runs. Sal Stewart has a .281 batting average and a team-leading 29 RBI's on the year.
Pirates Preview
The Pittsburgh offense has been solid enough this season, with a .245 batting average, as the Pirates have scored 148 runs on 264 hits. Pittsburgh has a .325 OBP and a .377 team slugging percentage. The Pittsburgh pitching staff has been the team's biggest strength, with a 3.65 team ERA, but the Pirates have given up 35 runs over their last 5 losses. Nick Gonzales leads the Pittsburgh offense this season with a .317 batting average. Oneil Cruz has a .256 batting average, along with a team-high 9 home runs and 26 RBIs.
Reds vs Pirates Pitching Matchup
Brady Singer will get the ball Friday in Game 1 of this set 4 Cincinnati. Thus far this season, Singer is 2-1 with a 4.97 ERA across 29 innings of action. Pittsburgh will counter with Mitch Keller on Friday. Keller is 2-1 with a 3.18 ERA across 34 innings of action.
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Reds vs Pirates Pick
Cincinnati is a better team in this matchup, playing great baseball coming into Friday. Look for Cincinnati to overwhelm a struggling Pittsburgh team from the opening pitch in this game. Take Cincinnati to do the job as they get the road victory Friday to extend the Pittsburgh losing streak and cash in on the plus money.
- Pick: Cincinnati Reds +104
- Secondary: Over 8.5
- Lean: Elly De La Cruz Over 1.5 Bases
Final Score Prediction: Cincinnati Reds win 5-4
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