Chicago @ Pittsburgh preview
PNC Park
Last Meeting ( Jun 1, 2010 ) Chi. Cubs 2, Pittsburgh 3
The schedule makers were kind enough to give both the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Chicago Cubs a day off on Monday. Unfortunately Mother Nature had other ideas.
After a rainout last Wednesday, the Cubs and the Pirates will spend their off day making up for that cancellation.
Chicago is limping in a loser of five of six, including losses in the first two games of the series against Pittsburgh last week.
Rookie Neil Walker played the hero in the second game of that series, clubbing his first major league homer - a two-run blast in the eighth - to spur the Pirates to a 3-2 victory. Chicago surrendered a lead in the first game of that series as well, with Bobby Crosby pushing across the winning run in the eighth.
Pittsburgh has had Chicago’s number recently, winning nine of the last 10 meetings dating back to last season.
The Cubs have dropped four of five overall and have managed a total of seven runs in the four setbacks. In addition to the two losses against the Pirates, Chicago dropped two of three over the weekend to the cellar-dwelling Houston Astros.
Houston won the series finale, 6-3, on Sunday despite the Cubs pounding out 12 hits. None of those, however, came from Aramis Ramirez, who watched his average sink back to .167 with an 0-for-3 effort. Even with a three-hit performance on Saturday, Ramirez is just 5-for-35 in his last 10 games.
Chicago does have one bright spot, however, as rookie right-hander Andrew Cashner pitched 1 2/3 perfect innings on Sunday for his third straight scoreless appearance.
Undefeated Carlos Silva will be looking to keep his perfect record intact when he takes the mound for the Cubs on Monday. The portly right-hander has been terrific lately, earning the win in each of his last five starts.
He is coming off a seven-inning effort against the St. Louis Cardinals last week in which he allowed two hits and no runs. Silva has allowed two runs or fewer in six of his 10 starts this season.
The Pirates will counter with newly aquired left-hander Dana Eveland.
The 26-year-old was cast aside by the Toronto Blue Jays last month after getting hammered in three straight starts. In his last effort for the Blue Jays, Eveland was lifted after just 1 1/3 innings having allowed eight runs and eight hits on May 22.
Pittsburgh needs all the help it can get, however, with a starting rotation that ranks last in the National League with a 5.77 ERA.