Athletics vs Pirates Picks and Prediction – 6/5/2023

Beautiful PNC Park will play host to a Monday night MLB meeting between the Oakland Athletics and the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Athletics (12-49) have dropped 25 of their first 30 road games and own the worst overall record in the majors. On Sunday, Oakland OF Ramon Laureano had two hits and drove in a pair of runs during a 7-5 road loss against Miami.

Twenty-seven year old southpaw J.P. Sears (0-3 4.37 ERA) will take the mound for the Athletics in this matchup. Last time out, Sears allowed one run in six innings during a 2-1 home victory versus Atlanta.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are riding a five-game winning streak and are just a half-game back of NL Central Division leading Milwaukee. On Sunday, OF Ji Hwan Bae’s two-run single in the first inning was all the offense Pittsburgh would need during a 2-1 home victory versus St. Louis. SP Rich Hill (5-5) allowed one run in six plus innings to earn the win for the Pirates (31-27), who moved to 15-13 at home. 

The Pirates will counter with twenty-five year old righty Johan Oviedo (3-4 4.50 ERA) in the series opener. Through 58 innings of work, Oviedo has given up five home runs and struck out 53 batters while posting a subpar 1.55 WHIP.