Chicago @ Pittsburgh preview
PNC Park
Last Meeting ( May 16, 2010 ) Pittsburgh 3, Chi. Cubs 4
Randy Wells was historically bad in last start. The Chicago Cubs hope he has a short memory.
Wells takes the hill on Monday looking to bounce back from a horrific outing in the opener of a three-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Wells (3-3, 4.79) failed to record an out in Friday’s 7-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, allowing six straight hits to begin the game.
Worse, he became a footnote in the Cubs’ storied and tortured history. The six consecutive hits were the most surrendered by a Chicago starter since Bill Bonham allowed seven straight hits to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1975.
Afterward, Wells told the Cubs’ official website that he was “pretty embarrassed”.
The only positive that came out of the painfully short outing is that he gets a chance to redeem himself quickly. Wells is starting in place of former Pirate Tom Gorzelanny, who was moved to the bullpen to make room for the return of Carlos Zambrano to the rotation.
Losers of five straight games, the light-hitting Pirates would normally be the ideal opponent for Wells at this moment.
Well on its way to an 18th straight losing season, Pittsburgh scored just eight runs during a three-game sweep at the hands of the Atlanta Braves this past weekend.
But Wells should be wary about facing the Pirates. They ripped him for seven runs and five hits in two innings during an 11-1 loss on May 6.
It’s not just Wells, however. The Pirates have been feasting on Cubs’ pitching all season.
Pittsburgh has scored the second-fewest runs in baseball (166), but has averaged nearly six runs per game in winning five of six against the Cubs this season.
One hitter that has consistently hurt Cubs’ pitching is Andrew McCutchen. The second-year center fielder is hitting .667 (12-for-18) with five RBIs in six games against Chicago in 2010.
In addition, he was an astounding 8-for-12 with three RBIs and six runs scored in helping the Pirates win two of three against the Cubs from May 14-16.
Russ Ohlendorf (0-3, 5.11) wouldn’t mind seeing another virtuoso performance from McCutchen. The right-hander is 0-5 with a 3.86 ERA in his last 10 starts dating back to August 18 of last season.
He allowed three runs and eight hits in six innings of a 4-0 loss to Cincinnati on Wednesday. In his only starts against Chicago this season, Ohlendorf yielded two runs and four hits in six innings, but didn’t receive a decision in a 4-3 loss on May 16.
He is 1-0 with a 1.38 ERA in two career starts vs. the Cubs, who are looking to rebound after dropping two of three to the St. Louis Cardinals over the weekend. Chicago dropped the finale of that series, 9-1, on Sunday.
This is the start of an 11-game road trip for Chicago, which has scored just eight runs in its past four games.