Vegas Play of the Day: Arizona at Pittsburgh

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Wednesday, July 2, 2014 | 2:30 p.m.

Here’s the latest installment of the Play of the Day, which uses odds from the South Point. Our three sports writers started with a $10,000 bankroll — fictional, of course.

Pittsburgh Pirates (minus-1.5, +140) vs. Arizona Diamondbacks: $500 to win $700 Pittsburgh has the best record in the National League since June 1. Arizona is the worst team in baseball.

The Pirates, after a slow start to the season, have received great pitching over the past month and sit two games out of the wild card. Charlie Morton, notorious for getting ground-ball outs, will continue the good-pitching trend.

It’s a crucial series for the Pirates, who are the middle of a 10-game homestand that will define the rest of the season. They have a 4-1 record thus far, meaning they should be in contention for the playoffs the rest of the way.

And, considering first-place Milwaukee already lost today, it’s a great opportunity for Pittsburgh to make up a game in the National League Central.

Standings: Bern (33-24-1, $12,019), Keefer (28-33, $8,894), Brewer (21-34-3, $2,235)

Ray Brewer can be reached at 990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21.