Philadelphia Phillies vs Pittsburgh Pirates Picks and Predictions May 17th 2025

Phillies Look to Take Advantage of Pirates’ Road Woes

Wheeler Eyes Third Straight Win on the Mound

Zack Wheeler has been as reliable as they come for the Philadelphia Phillies this season, and he’ll look to extend his hot streak on Saturday when the Phillies aim to lock up a series win over the struggling Pittsburgh Pirates.

Wheeler (4-1, 2.95 ERA) enters the matchup following dominant road performances at Tampa Bay and Cleveland, allowing just two total runs and seven hits over 14 innings while fanning 17.

The right-hander trails only MacKenzie Gore for the MLB lead in strikeouts (74) and boasts an elite 0.91 WHIP. His last start was a statement — seven shutout innings with eight Ks in a 3-0 win against the Guardians.

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Phillies Offense Fueled by Harper Milestone

Wheeler won’t be the only headliner for Philadelphia. First baseman Bryce Harper delivered a vintage performance Friday night, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs — the 1,000th and 1,001st of his career.

“Not enough. Got to keep going,” Harper said when told of the milestone.
“Obviously, a real accomplishment but always want more.”

Harper became just the 14th player in MLB history to record 1,000 RBIs, 1,000 runs, and 1,000 walks before age 33. Among that elite group are Hall of Famers like Babe Ruth and Ted Williams.

“That’s quite a group that he’s a part of,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said.
“It shows you how great a hitter he’s been.”

Philadelphia took the series opener with an 8-4 win, powered by a late offensive explosion and some unfortunate bullpen meltdowns from Pittsburgh.

Pirates’ Bullpen Woes Continue

The Pirates held a 3-1 lead into the seventh inning on Friday behind five solid innings from Andrew Heaney and a three-run homer by Alexander Canario. But the bullpen collapsed — again.

Pittsburgh relievers gave up seven earned runs on five hits, five walks, and a hit batter in the final three innings, allowing Philadelphia to steal the game without needing much hard contact.

Bases-loaded walks to Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto, a hit batter, and a sacrifice fly from Alec Bohm did the damage.

It marked the 15th time this season that the Pirates lost a game in which they held a lead — second only to the White Sox.

“The walks got to us, and we need to be better there,” said Pirates interim manager Don Kelly.
“It got away at the end, but we continued to fight all the way to the last out.”

Road Struggles Pile Up for Pittsburgh

Saturday’s starter Carmen Mlodzinski (1-3, 5.20 ERA) will try to help the Pirates end their woes away from home, where they are just 6-17 this season. Only the Rockies (2-21) have a worse road record in the National League.

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Mlodzinski has a solid track record in relief against Philadelphia, sporting a 1.93 ERA in five prior appearances. But this will be his first start against the red-hot Phillies lineup.

With the Pirates’ bullpen stumbling, bettors and fans alike are paying close attention to MLB picks for insight on where to find value during this uneven stretch for Pittsburgh.

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Series Momentum on the Line

The Phillies, who had a five-series win streak snapped earlier in the week by the Cardinals, now have a chance to bounce back strong. A win Saturday secures another series victory and pushes Pittsburgh even deeper into the NL Central basement.