On The Horizon: Cubs vs. Pirates series preview
Let's keep that skid going, shall we?
For more on the Pirates, here's Austin Bechtold, a staff writer at our SB Nation Pirates site Bucs Dugout.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have dipped to 20 games under .500 for the third time this season.
Peaks and valleys are common over a 162-game campaign, but the Pirates have experienced lows that included firing their manager and tying an MLB record by scoring four or fewer runs in 26 consecutive games.
A five-game losing streak was capped by a 12-5 loss to the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers. A smaller market than Pittsburgh. A team that traded its star closer in the offseason and Cy Young winner before last season.
The Brewers are 76-44. The Pirates are 51-71 and were outscored 33-6. Third baseman Jared Triolo pitched the 8th inning Tuesday in a 14-0 loss. The series was a disaster.
Pittsburgh has lost seven of 10 and enters Wrigley Field scoring an MLB low 3.5 runs per game. The Pirates are 2-5 against the Cubs.
According to Danny Demilio of Pittsburgh Baseball Now, Braxton Ashcraft will start on Friday, while Mike Burrows gets the ball Saturday. Sunday's matchup hasn't been announced.
The franchise dropped below .500 as a whole for the first time since 1903 earlier this season.
They need to go 32-8 in their last 40 games to finish over .500.
The remainder of the season brings significantly more questions than answers. Will Ben Cherington be here next season? Regardless of Cherington's status, will Don Kelly return as manager? How do the Pirates replace David Bednar?
Results of the three-game stretch could further push discussions in one way or another.
Rumblings around Mitch Keller's second-half struggles, Paul Skenes' potential innings limit, and Bubba Chandler's arrival will continue throughout the final two months.
The Pirates' main issue is a lack of offense. Paul Skenes is 7-9 with an ERA slightly over 2.00 and has consistently been the best pitcher in baseball. No starting pitcher has ever won the Cy Young with a losing record.
Want to know the story of the 2025 Pirates? That's it in a nutshell.
The Pirates need to use the remaining time to evaluate their young pitching and bats, including Liover Peguero, Henry Davis, Jack Suwinski, and others, to decide if they should hold onto or move on from them in the offseason. The same goes for the main voices in management.
Skenes' greatness has been a joy to watch and appreciate, being the apple to Pirates fans' eye the past year. It also shines a light on the unfortunate reality that the Pirates can't score the Cy Young favorite any runs.
It won't be an easy task against a Cubs team 16 games over .500 and fighting for a wild card spot. The Pirates need to use this series as a barometer for where they need to be in the NL Central.
We saw how they stacked up against Milwaukee; it's another difficult feat against the Cubs, especially at Wrigley.
Fun facts
Today is exactly two months since the Cubs last faced the Pirates, also at Wrigley Field. The Cubs won, 3-2, on Ian Happ's 10th-inning walk-off single to win the series, three games to one, and open a 5.5-game lead in the standings.
Since the start of 2015, the Cubs are 55-30 at home vs. the Pirates, for a winning percentage of .647, best against any of their division rivals. They are .616 vs. the Reds, .553 vs. the Cardinals and .523 vs. the Brewers.
Their best against non-division NL guests are .688 vs. the Marlins and .667 vs. the Giants and Mets.
Since 1887, when the Cubs were the White Stockings and the Pirates were Allegheny City, the Cubs have played more games against the Pirates, 2,615, than against any other opponent. They have won 84 more games than they have lost, but they have lost 119 more at Pittsburgh, leaving them 25 games under .500 in the rivalry, with 1,281 wins and 1,316 losses.
(Courtesy BCB's JohnW53)
Probable pitching matchups
Friday: Colin Rea, RHP (9-5, 4.09 ERA, 1.294 WHIP, 4.67 FIP) vs. Braxton Ashcraft, RHP (3-2, 3.19 ERA, 1.364 WHIP, 2.81 FIP)
Saturday: Shōta Imanaga, LHP (8-5, 3.19 ERA, 0.969 WHIP, 4.33 FIP) vs. Mike Burrows, RHP (1-4, 4.66 ERA, 1.256 WHIP, 4.66 FIP)
Sunday: Javier Assad, RHP (0-1, 9.00 ERA, 2.250 WHIP, 6.86 FIP) vs. TBD
Times & TV channels
Friday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, MLB Network (outside the Cubs and Pirates market territories)
Saturday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, FS1 (full national broadcast, no blackouts)
Sunday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
Prediction
The Cubs had better win at least two of three here or the rest of the season is in trouble.
Up next
The Cubs host the Milwaukee Brewers in a five-game series beginning Monday afternoon. Monday's action includes a split doubleheader.
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