Two National League Central rivals renew their rivalry tonight as the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Chicago Cubs begin their second series in a week in a showdown at Wrigley Field. The opener will feature a pitching matchup between right-handers Vance Worley and Jason Hammel in a rematch of their meeting on Wednesday.
Who will grab the edge this time around? Read on for a breakdown of this NL Central matchup and while you’re at it you can check out our previews of Toronto vs. Boston and San Francisco vs. Los Angeles.
[sc:MLBArticles ]Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs Preview
Where: Wrigley Field, Chicago
When: Monday, April 27, 8:05 PM ET
Line: Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs – view all MLB lines
Betting on the Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates extended their winning streak to five games with an emphatic 8-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday. It was the Pirates’ first desert sweep of Arizona as they have recovered strongly from their poor start to the season.
[sc:MLB240banner ]Key to their resurgence has been their improved starting pitching. Francisco Liriano was simply superb in his 200th career start. He allowed just two hits and six walks in 6 1/3 scoreless innings against Arizona. He also had seven strikeouts in the victory that gave him wins against 29 of the 30 teams in the majors.
The Pirates will look to sustain the momentum from that huge win when they take on the Cubs later tonight. Manager Cliff Hurdle will give the ball to right-hander Vance Worley (2-1, 4.00 ERA). Worley started Pittsburgh’s current winning streak, grabbing the victory in the Pirates’ 4-3 win over the Cubs on April 22.
It was far from a solid performance, however, for the 27-year-old who allowed one run on six hits with two walks in 5.2 shaky innings against the Cubs. Still, it was another victory for Worley against the Cubs. The Pirates are 5-0 in games Worley has pitched for them against the Cubs.
The Pirates will fancy their chances of preserving Worley’s unblemished slate tonight. The Pirates have won five in a row at Wrigley Field with Pittsburgh owning a 16-9 record in the Friendly Confines since 2012.
Expected to play a key part for the Pirates in the series opener is Andrew McCutchen. He is a career .359 hitter with an OPS of 1.001 in Wrigley Field. He snapped a career-long 0-for-16 slump with a single in the fifth inning of their game Sunday against the Diamondbacks.
The Pirates are 5-4 on the road this season.
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Betting on the Chicago Cubs
Welcome to the big leagues, Addison Russell!
The youngest player in the National League finished his first week in the majors with his biggest hit yet, slamming a bases-loaded double in the fourth inning to help Chicago grab a 5-2 victory over Cincinnati on Sunday. It was a morale-boosting moment for the 21-year-old who was only 2 for 19 with 11 strikeouts heading into that at-bat.
The Cubs are now 10-7 under first year manager Joe Maddon, their best start in the majors since 2008 when they went 11-6. That was also the last time Chicago won the National League Central Division title. They will look to extend their winning streak to three games when they lock horns with the Pittsburgh Pirates tonight.
Starting tonight for the Cubs is right-hander Jason Hammel. He struggled in his last outing against the Pirates, giving up four runs – three earned –and six hits in five innings with five walks and no strikeouts in a 4-3 loss on April 22.
Hammel will be licking his chops at the prospect, though, of pitching against the Pirates in Wrigley Field. He has won four of five career decisions in the Cubs’ home field, posting an ERA of 2.75. He will need every bit of that home advantage, though. The Cubs are 0-3 in the last three games Hammel has pitched against the Pirates.
The Cubs are 4-4 at home this season.
Writer’s Prediction
Chicago wins, 5-3.
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