On Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Pirates will host the Cincinnati Reds in a winner take all wild card game for a spot in the NL Division Series playoffs. The game is set to start at 8:07PM ET.
These two teams met in a three-game series in the last week of the regular season. Pittsburgh swept Cincinnati and took the home field advantage for the NL Wild Card game. This is the Pirates first playoff berth in 21 years and it was manager Clint Hurdle that instilled the winning attitude in Pittsburgh's clubhouse.
Left hander Francisco Liriano will take the mound for the Pirates. He resurrected his career this season for Pittsburgh. Liriano altered his delivery and added a nasty slider in his pitching repertoire.
The Cincinnati Reds are not new in the playoffs. This team has entered the playoffs three times since 2010. They have the playoff experience that the Pirates lack.
Cincinnati will send right hander Johnny Cueto on the mound. He is 13-4 with a 2.37 ERA against the Pirates. Cueto is also 8-2 with 1.90 ERA when he pitches at PNC Park.
The winner of this wild card game will play the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Division series that starts on Thursday. The sportsbook handicappers have installed the Pittsburgh Pirates as a 1.5-point favorite to beat the Cincinnati Reds.
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