Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Picks and Prediction, Wednesday, September 3, 2025
It’s a National League battle between a divisional leader and a bottom-feeder on Wednesday, Sept. 3. Read our Los Angeles Dodgers vs Pittsburgh Pirates prediction along with our other Free MLB Picks. The Dodgers are in first place in the National League West as they are just ahead of the Padres. They have struggled on the road recently, losing seven of their last 10 games coming into this series. The Pirates are in last place in the National League Central. They have won eight of their last 11 games coming into Tuesday’s game. For Wednesday’s game, the Dodgers are set to start Shohei Ohtani while the Pirates turn to Braxton Ashcraft. The first pitch is set for 6:40 P.M. EST.
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The Dodgers holding on to the National League West lead
The Dodgers are in first place in the National League West. They lead the division over the Padres by at least two games. Los Angeles is hovering around .500 mark when playing on the road this season. They have won five of their last seven games coming into Tuesday’s game. The Dodgers have won just three of their last 10 road games coming into this series against the Pirates.
The Dodgers are set to start Shohei Ohtani in this game against Pittsburgh. The right-handed pitcher has made 11 starts this year and he has a 1-1 record with a 4.18 ERA. His last start saw him pitch against the Reds on Aug. 27. He threw five innings and allowed one run and two hits in a 5-1 win. The Dodgers are 5-6 when Ohtani has started this year. Ohtani has an ERA of 6.06 in five road starts this season. In four starts, Ohtani has a 5.71 ERA in August. Since the All-Star break, Ohtani has a 5.40 ERA in six games.
The Dodgers are hitting .252 this season, which ranks seventh in the league. They have scored the third most runs while they rank 11th in hits. Los Angeles has hit the second most home runs, while they also own a .243 batting average in road games. They also have a .242 batting average since the All-Star break. The Dodgers are coming off of a month where they hit .242 in August. They have a .298 batting average against the Pirates this year.
Pirates well above .500 at home this season
The Pirates are in last place in the National League Central division. They are well off of the pace in the division as they are over 20 games back of the Brewers. Pittsburgh owns the third-worst record in the National League as they are only ahead of the Nationals and the Rockies. They are well above .500 at home this year. They have the seventh-best home record in the National League, too. Coming into Tuesday’s game, the Pirates have won eight of their last 11 games.
On Wednesday, Braxton Ashcraft gets the start for the Pirates against the Dodgers. The right-handed pitcher is 4-2 with a 2.58 ERA in five starts and 16 relief appearances. His last start saw him throw 5.2 innings against the Cardinals on Aug. 28. He allowed one run and four hits in a 4-1 loss to St. Louis. The Pirates are 3-2 when Ashcraft has started this season. He has a 3.13 ERA in 11 games at home this season. He has a 2.97 ERA in 10 appearances since the All-Star break. Ashcraft has a 2.45 ERA in seven games against National League West opponents.
The Pirates are hitting .234 this season which ranks fourth-worst in the league. They have scored the fewest amount of runs in the league while they also have the third fewest hits. Pittsburgh has hit the least amount of home runs, too. The Pirates are hitting .252 at home this year and .244 since the All-Star break. The Pirates are coming off of a strong August, where they hit .247 in the month. They also have a .232 batting average against the Dodgers.
Pittsburgh Pirates -1.5 (4 units)
On its surface, the Dodgers should come away with an easy win. They lead the National League West division while the Pirates are in last place in the NL Central. But, I think this gam provides a strong chance for the Pirates to seal the upset. They are starting Braxton Ashcraft, who has a 2.97 ERA since the All-Star break. He also owns a 2.45 ERA in seven games against NL West opponents. The Pirates are 3-2 when he starts this season. The Dodgers are starting Shohei Ohtani, who is one of the best players in the sport, but he hasn’t performed his best on the road. Ohtani has a 5.40 ERA since the All-Star break while he also has a 6.06 ERA when pitching on the road. The Pirates are coming off of a month where they hit .247 and they are hitting .252 at home. They will have their chances against Ohtani and I think they will take them.
Take the Pirates to cover.
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Over 8.5 runs (5 units)
Shohei Ohtani has been leaking runs when pitching on the road this year. He has a 6.06 ERA in five road starts. The total has hit eight runs or more in three of his last four starts. The Dodgers do rank third in most runs scored while the Pirates are in solid form with their .244 batting average since the All-Star break and a .252 home batting average. Offense should be the star of the show in this game.
Take the over on Wednesday.
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