Philadelphia Phillies vs Pittsburgh Pirates Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 05/15/26

The Pittsburgh Pirates won their home game against the Rockies on Thursday afternoon by a 7-2 final score, taking the series win against Colorado. They remain home on Friday as Philadelphia comes to town for a 3-game weekend series. The Phillies took 2 of 3 games from Boston on the road, winning their 5th consecutive series. I am very excited to see how this weekend series shakes out.

Braxton Ashcraft is the scheduled starter for Pittsburgh Friday. Ashcraft has been terrific this season, posting a 2.77 ERA through his first 48.1 innings of work. The right-hander is in elite form so far this month after 7.2 shutout innings against the Reds and 7 more innings of 1-run ball against the Giants. His 2.57 xERA and 3.01 FIP support his success and I expect another strong outing from Ashcraft against a Phillies lineup sitting 24th in wOBA against righties.

Pittsburgh enters Friday ranking 3rd in wOBA against right-handed pitching in 2026. They have been most productive in their home park, and now they face off against Aaron Nola who can be picked on. Nola enters Friday with a 5.14 ERA across 42 innings pitched. His 4.30 xERA and 4.25 FIP are more encouraging marks, but he is still sporting a below average batted ball profile. Left-handed batters have also shredded Nola this season with a .915 OPS, and Pittsburgh is a lefty-heavy lineup.

Philadelphia Phillies vs Pittsburgh Pirates prediction: Pirates ML (-130) available at time of publishing. Playable to -140 odds.