The Colorado Rockies will take on the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night. The Rockies defeated the San Diego Padres 8-5 on Thursday to bring their overall record to 41-49 on the year. The Pirates currently hold a 38-52 record on the season after losing Thursday's matchup to the Miami Marlins.
"Rockies win..." - Rockies
German Marquez, who is 5-7 with a 5.66 ERA, will be on the hill Friday for Colorado. Despite the high ERA on the season, in his past four outings, his ERA is 4.13. Coors Field is a nightmare for pitchers, and this season Marquez has a sky-high 7.18 ERA at home.
The Colorado righty hasn't faced the Pirates this season, but back in June of 2021 he tossed a complete game shutout against Pittsburgh. He'll hope to have an outing even remotely close to that one as it's been a rough year for the former All-Star. The visiting Pirates do rank 28th in runs, but in Denver, the ball can always fly out of the park.
"German Márquez is the first pitcher in Rockies history to throw a 1-hit shutout at Coors Field." - StatHead
Pittsburgh sends out Jose Quintana for Friday's game, who currently has a 2-4 record 3.38 ERA. Quintana has been solid for the road side but only has two wins in 17 games to show for it. He'll be taking on a Rockies ballclub that loves hitting at home, evidenced by their .283 average and 5.9 runs per contest at Coors.
While the Pirates lefty has limited runs, Quintana's only averaging five innings pitched per start. Pittsburgh's bullpen is below-average, so look for Colorado to take advantage of that in the opener.
Colorado Rockies vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Match Details
Fixture: Pittsburgh Pirates @ Colorado Rockies
Date & Time: Friday, July 15, 8:40 p.m. ET
Venue: Coors Field, Denver, Colorado
Colorado Rockies vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Odds
The under has hit in nine of the last 10meetings between these two, which means oddsmakers keep overestimating their offensive production. With the total set this high, it might be tough for the over to hit despite Coors Field's hitter-friendly nature.
Colorado Rockies vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Best Picks
C.J. Cron has been named an All-Star this year, and deservedly so. He's been mashing all year, especially when it comes to opposite-handed matchups and playing at home. Look for him to have a big game against Quintana and the Pirates on Friday.
Pick: C.J. Cron Over 1.5 Total Bases (-135)
Colorado Rockies vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Prediction
Even though Marquez has had an awful year, the Pirates' bats often go cold. Look for the Rockies to make it four wins in a row and cover the first game of the series.
Prediction: Colorado Rockies -1.5 (+122) & First 5 Innings Under 6.5 Runs (-144)