Tonight the National Sports Advisors look for Pittsburgh and Atlanta to score under 8.5 runs.
John Smoltz, coming off of his first loss in two months, will toe the rubber tonight as the Atlanta Braves open a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Smoltz (10-6, 3.62 ERA) is unbeaten at home since June 7, and is 6-3 with a 2.99 ERA at Turner Field this season. The Braves' ace hadn't lost anywhere since June 13, going 6-0 with a 2.93 ERA in 11 starts, before losing at Washington on Wednesday. He surrendered six runs on nine hits and three bases on balls in five innings of a 9-6 defeat.
Smoltz is 18-11 with a 3.24 career ERA against the Pirates.
Zach Duke (8-10, 4.99 ERA) will top the hill tonight for Pittsburgh. Duke has pitched well of late, pitching at least six innings and allowing two earned runs or less in three of his last four starts.
The bottom line is this matchup has all the makings of an under play. The under is 16-5 in the last 21 meetings between these two teams, including 3-0 this season. The under is 20-7-1 in Pittsburgh's last 28 games and we look for them to struggle scoring again tonight against the red hot Smoltz.
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Pirates at Braves - Aug 21st
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