An explosive Sunday night awaits you in the MLB, as the Pittsburgh Pirates (95-60) and Chicago Cubs (89-65) lock horns for the conclusion of their three-game set at Wrigley Field. The Pirates have won the first two games by an aggregate score of 7-2 and will put their trust on A.J. Burnett in completing the sweep. The Cubs, meanwhile, will try to end their three-game slide and earn their first win of the series by relying on their ace, Jake Arrieta, to lead them on the mound. Which team grabs the victory tonight?
Read on below for a comprehensive breakdown of this matchup. And if you’re craving for other sports action, indulge yourself with some of our Week 3 previews of the 2015-16 NFL season: 49ers vs. Cardinals and Falcons vs. Cowboys. Enjoy.
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Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs Preview
Where: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
When: Sunday, September 27, 8:05 PM ET
Line: Pittsburgh Pirates (+190) vs. Chicago Cubs (-220); total: 7.5—View all MLB Lines
Betting on the Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are looking unbeatable right now as they’ve won all of their last eight games. As a result, they are 5.5 games ahead of the Cubs for the first wild card spot in the National League and are only 2.5 games behind the Cards for the division crown. The Pirates will look to stay hot and continue improving their current position when they send A.J. Burnett (9-5, 3.15 ERA) on the mound for their series finale against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
[sc:MLB240banner ]Burnett, who aims for his tenth win tonight, has allowed just three runs or fewer in each of his previous three starts. That stretch includes his most recent outing at Colorado on September 21, during which the 38-year-old righty surrendered six hits and three runs, while striking out five across 5 2/3 innings for the eventual 9-3 triumph.
Burnett could be bound for another solid performance later, as he holds an 8-4 record with a quality 2.93 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP and a .230 opponents’ batting average in over 16 career starts versus the Cubs.
As for the offense, expect Andrew McCutchen to light up the plate for the Bucs. McCutchen, who holds a team-best of 95 RBIs this season, is only 3-for-15 in his last four contests but holds a career triple-slash line of .316/.424/.512 opposite Chicago. He’s also been a huge headache for Jake Arrieta, batting 8-for-21 lifetime against the righty.
Pittsburgh is 3-4 in Burnett’s previous seven turns.
If the playoffs were to begin now, the Chicago Cubs are fated to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League Wild Card game as the road team. But with a couple of more games remaining in the regular season, they still have a chance on stealing the first wild card spot away from the Bucs, who still hold a 5.5-game edge over them. A win tonight for the Cubs is going to be very crucial.
The timing couldn’t have been any better for the Cubs as they’ll have Jake Arrieta, who is 20-6 with a 1.88 ERA, going on the mound for them. Arrieta did not become this year’s first 20-game winner for nothing as his stats speak for themselves. The 29-year-old righty now has 18-straight quality starts with four complete games and three shutout performances. He also owns a sparkling 0.89 ERA since the All-Star break.
Furthermore, Arrieta is definitely on track to notch win No. 21 and become the first Cubs player to post more than 20 wins in a season since Ferguson Jenkins in 1971. He has pitched really well opposite the Pirates across eight career starts, holding a 5-1 record with a 1.90 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP and .199 opponents’ batting average.
But no matter how incredible Arrieta has been, he can’t do it all alone. He’ll need the pair of hard-hitters, Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant, to provide some timely runs on offense.
Rizzo, who leads the team in homers (30) and hits (156), has formed a strong liking against the Pirates this 2015 season, holding a .391 batting average with three homers and 11 RBIs. Bryant, meanwhile, 9-for-20 in his previous five outings and is 5-for-7 lifetime versus A.J. Burnett.
Chicago is 11-0 in Arrieta’s past 11 starts.
Writer’s Prediction:
Arrieta pitches a gem to lead Chicago (-220) to a thrilling 5-2 victory.
