Chicago @ Pittsburgh preview
PNC Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 27, 2016 ) Chi. Cubs 6, Pittsburgh 4
Even as they give their regular starters some extra rest before the postseason, the Chicago Cubs are showing no sign of letting up. The Cubs have won three straight and seven of their last eight, and they’ll try to continue the positive momentum in the third contest of their four-game road series against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday.
After a 12-2 rout in the series opener, the Cubs beat the Pirates 6-4 on Tuesday to improve to 14-3 in the season series. Chicago's 101 wins are its most since recording 104 in 1910, and it already has assured itself of the majors’ best regular-season record. Pittsburgh’s next loss will ensure it can finish no better than .500, ending a run of three straight years above the break-even mark for a franchise that went 20 years without a winning campaign from 1993-2012. The Pirates have dropped four straight and five of their last six games.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, CSN Chicago, ROOT (Pittsburgh)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH Jake Arrieta (18-7, 2.85 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Jameson Taillon (4-4, 3.49)
Arrieta has been inconsistent with his command, but he was dominant last time out as he tossed seven scoreless innings in a win over St. Louis. The 30-year-old struck out 10 and walked one, a trend the Cubs would like to see him continue heading into the postseason. Arrieta is 9-2 with a 2.44 ERA in 14 career starts versus the Pirates, but he has surrendered six runs in each of his last two outings against them.
The Pirates have been conservative with Taillon, keeping his pitch count under 100 in 15 of his 17 major-league starts. The 24-year-old has allowed three runs or fewer in each of his last four starts and gave up three runs and six hits over five innings in a no-decision against Washington last time out. Taillon faced the Cubs in his third career start on June 19 and took the loss, allowing four runs and eight hits over four frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cubs 3B/LF Kris Bryant, 1B Anthony Rizzo and INF Javier Baez all homered off Taillon in his first start against Chicago.
2. Pittsburgh pitchers have recorded 86 strikeouts in the last eight games.
3. Chicago CF Dexter Fowler needs two hits to reach 1,000 for his career.
PREDICTION: Cubs 4, Pirates 2