Baseball Betting

Mets head to Pittsburgh for makeup with Bucs

Baseball Betting Lines

07/02/2009 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Before the New York Mets begin a critical three-game set in Philadelphia this weekend, they must first play a makeup game in the Keystone State against the Pittsburgh Pirates today at PNC Park.

Today's contest was originally supposed to be the third of a four-game set in early June, but was postponed due to rain. The Pirates won the other three matchups in the series and should they win this afternoon, would complete their first four-game sweep of the Mets - albeit in the rare variety - since September 29-October 1, 1989

New York, though, enters on a bit of a high note after right-hander Mike Pelfrey gave the team exactly what it needed on Wednesday. He tossed nearly eight shutout innings against Milwaukee to help the Mets eke out a 1-0 win and snap a five-game losing streak in the process.

Pelfrey (6-3) helped the Mets grab the victory after keeping the Brewers off the scoreboard for 7 2/3 innings. He allowed six hits, walked two and struck out six.

"Mike Pelfrey was outstanding," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. "Tremendous, tremendous effort by him. Good command of all his pitches. He got the ground ball when he needed it."

Ryan Church had one of New York's five hits, walked once and drove in the game's lone run.

With Philadelphia's loss in Atlanta, New York moved within two games of the defending world champions for first place in the NL East, with Florida a half- game back of Philadelphia. New York will visit the City of Brotherly Love for a three-game series starting Friday.

Getting the call this afternoon for the Mets will be righty Tim Redding, who is 1-3 with a 6.35 earned run average. Redding was charged with the loss on Saturday against the Yankees, as he gave up five runs and six hits - including two homers - in 5 1/3 innings. The Mets, though, mustered just one hit in that contest.

Redding has faced the Pirates 11 times and is 2-2 with a 3.79 ERA in those contests.

Pittsburgh, meanwhile, will pin its hopes on lefty Paul Maholm, who was roughed up by the Mets back on May 9. New York hit him for seven runs and 10 hits in five innings, dropping him to 3-2 with a 3.65 ERA in six lifetime starts against them .

Maholm, though, picked up the win on Saturday against Kansas City, as he limited the Royals to a pair of runs and five hits in seven innings to improve to 5-4 to go along with a 4.35 ERA for the season.

Pittsburgh enters tonight's tilt on the heels of dropping two of three to the Chicago Cubs, including a 4-1 setback in Wednesday's rubber match.

Pirates starter Virgil Vasquez (1-1) went six frames, allowing three runs on seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts to take the loss. He allowed two runs and four hits in six innings and recorded seven strikeouts in that game.

Brandon Moss knocked in the lone run for the Pirates with a single. Andrew McCutchen and Jason Jaramillo each had two hits for Pittsburgh, which has won five of its last eight games despite the loss.

"Wells threw a great game against us. He didn't miss his spots at all," Pirates manager John Russell said about Cubs starter Randy Wells, who held the Pirates to one run over seven innings of work.

Pittsburgh is 3-3 this season against the Mets.

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