San Francisco Giants vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 6/19/2022

Time: 1:35 p.m. ET

Venue: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA

Where to watch: NBC Sports Bay Area, AT&T SportsNet-Pittsburgh

DraftKings: Giants -180, Pirates +155

BetMGM: NL

Caesars: Giants -179, Pirates +160

Giants: 37-27

Pirates: 25-39

I think we all can assume that when it comes to the bullpen of the Pittsburgh Pirates, we are over here trying to imagine if they will actually hold on to a lead. Because the pirates actually did something right through the first few innings of this game. Not only did they answer, at least early on, everything that San Francisco through their way. Anytime the San Francisco Giants would score a run, Pittsburgh would be right there to respond. So much so, that the pirates actually led 4-2 after three innings and provided at least some semblance of hope that they would pull off a big win against a very good team.

"We're a mix-and-match team style of club ... the team that finishes the game is probably not going to be the team that starts the game," Giants manager Gabe Kapler said.

Then the bullpen got shaky toward the middle innings and before you know it, San Francisco ran away with this game. Brandon Crawford tide the game in the 6th inning with an RBI single, then Mike Yastrzemski provided a sacrifice fly soon after to give the giants the lead for good. And the fact that Pittsburgh actually got a decent day against San Francisco starter Alex Wood, wild getting a rather solid day from their own starter Jose Quintana, it didn't matter. The pirates once again choked as I think we all expected that they would at some point.

"The (Giants) make you command the ball on the plate," Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton said. "We did not command the ball on the plate. They stayed with their approach. I think that's what you see out of good, veteran hitters. It's why they're in the position they are, and it's why they won 100-plus games last year."

Wilmer Flores had two hits at 5 at bats and even hit a home run, and Crawford drove in two of those runs to give the giants the victory and put them ten games over 500, while Pittsburgh continued its struggling ways and continues to fall down the rabbit hole of the National League central standings with every loss.

I think we can look at this game from the perspective that San Francisco at least knows how to handle teams that they are much better than. I think whatever good run Pittsburgh had earlier in the season, to the point where they were only a few games from hitting the 500 mark, has clearly gone away and there's just no true end in sight.

As for SF, we look at this team as a little bit of an underachiever, yet at the same time, they continue to find ways to show everyone that they are a much better team than what they were in the past. And right now how you doing what's hard to establish that kind of continuity when you look at last season's team and see how good it was, but there is still some time to go before the playoffs, however there is some serious ground they need to make up in order to catch matches the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the San Diego Padres as well.

I don't think there's much more that needs to be said with this game. Clearly, one team is better than the other and that will show rather quickly when the giants finish off Pittsburgh and go about their business as they try to find a way to make this National League West division even more ridiculously stacked than it already is. Giants win 7-0

Giants are 25-15 in June the past three seasons.

Giants are 83-60 on the road the past three seasons.

Pirates are 11-8 against NL West teams this season.

Giants:
Luis Gonzalez (L) RF
Mike Yastrzemski (L) CF
Evan Longoria (R) 3B
Joc Pederson (L) LF
Brandon Belt (L) 1B
Thairo Estrada (R) 2B
Tommy La Stella (L) DH
Brandon Crawford (L) SS
Austin Wynns (R) C
SP - Alex Cobb

Pirates:
Ke'Bryan Hayes (R) 3B
Bryan Reynolds (S) CF
Michael Chavis (R) 1B
Daniel Vogelbach (L) DH
Diego Castillo (R) SS
Jack Suwinski (L) LF
Yu Chang (R) 2B
Cal Mitchell (L) RF
Tyler Heineman (S) C
SP - Mitch Keller