
Cubs host the Pirates on home winning streak
Pittsburgh Pirates (28-42, fifth in the NL Central) vs. Chicago Cubs (42-27, first in the NL Central)
Chicago; Friday, 2:20 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Pirates: Paul Skenes (4-6, 1.88 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 92 strikeouts); Cubs: Cade Horton (3-1, 4.11 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 25 strikeouts)
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Cubs -114, Pirates -105; over/under is 7 runs
BOTTOM LINE: The Chicago Cubs will try to keep a three-game home win streak alive when they play the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Chicago has a 21-11 record in home games and a 42-27 record overall. The Cubs have the ninth-best team ERA in the majors at 3.68.
Pittsburgh has a 28-42 record overall and a 9-23 record on the road. The Pirates have the seventh-ranked team ERA in the NL at 3.79.
Friday's game is the fifth time these teams square off this season. The Cubs are up 3-1 in the season series.
TOP PERFORMERS: Kyle Tucker has 12 doubles, four triples, 13 home runs and 43 RBIs for the Cubs. Michael Busch is 11 for 34 with two triples, four home runs and 10 RBIs over the last 10 games.
Oneil Cruz has 10 doubles, a triple, 13 home runs and 29 RBIs for the Pirates. Andrew McCutchen is 10 for 39 with two doubles, two home runs and nine RBIs over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Cubs: 5-5, .227 batting average, 2.69 ERA, outscored opponents by seven runs
Pirates: 6-4, .232 batting average, 2.73 ERA, outscored opponents by five runs
INJURIES: Cubs: Miguel Amaya: 10-Day IL (oblique), Porter Hodge: 15-Day IL (oblique), Eli Morgan: 60-Day IL (elbow), Shota Imanaga: 15-Day IL (leg), Javier Assad: 60-Day IL (oblique), Justin Steele: 60-Day IL (elbow)
Pirates: Endy Rodriguez: 10-Day IL (elbow), Joey Bart: 7-Day IL (concussion), Colin Holderman: 15-Day IL (thumb), Enmanuel Valdez: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Justin Lawrence: 60-Day IL (elbow), Tim Mayza: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Jared Jones: 60-Day IL (elbow), Johan Oviedo: 60-Day IL (elbow), Dauri Moreta: 60-Day IL (elbow)
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Washington Post
15 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Late miscues cost Phil Mickelson a shot at the weekend in his 34th -- and maybe last -- US Open
OAKMONT, Pa. — By the time Phil Mickelson reached the 18th green at Oakmont on Friday evening, the once-packed grandstand was maybe a quarter-full. Same for the luxury suites. There was no grand gesture as the 54-year-old Mickelson loped up the hill. No wave to the crowd the way Arnold Palmer did in the same spot on the same course 31 years ago. No lengthy standing ovation from the gallery in return either.


Washington Post
21 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Ozuna and Harris hit3-run homers to power Braves to 12-4 comeback win over struggling Rockies
ATLANTA — Marcel Ozuna hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning to give Atlanta the lead and the Braves stormed back from a three-run deficit to beat the Colorado Rockies 12-4 on Friday night. Ozuna's homer to left field off Victor Vodnik (1-2) drove in Alex Verdugo and Matt Olson.

Associated Press
23 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Late miscues cost Phil Mickelson a shot at the weekend in his 34th -- and maybe last -- US Open
OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — By the time Phil Mickelson reached the 18th green at Oakmont on Friday evening, the once-packed grandstand was maybe a quarter-full. Same for the luxury suites. There was no grand gesture as the 54-year-old Mickelson loped up the hill. No wave to the crowd the way Arnold Palmer did in the same spot on the same course 31 years ago. No lengthy standing ovation from the gallery in return either. The man whose decades-long pursuit of the U.S. Open made him a fan favorite in his prime — not unlike Palmer in some ways — instead quietly marked his ball 16 feet from the hole, then walked over to the far edge of the green and stared at the leaderboard that glowed in the rainy twilight. A birdie would have let Mickelson stick around for the weekend at his 34th — and perhaps last — trip to the national championship. Wearing a white hat featuring the logo of his LIV Golf team, the HyFlyers GC, Mickelson stood over the line trying to get the right read. When the putt slid a foot left of the hole to keep Mickelson one outside the cut at plus-8, a small groan arose from those who stuck around. There was a shout or two of 'We love you Phil!' Along the railing, a man leaned toward a friend and said, 'His exemption is done. No more U.S. Open for you Phil.' Maybe, maybe not. The five-year exemption into the tournament that Mickelson received when he captured the 2021 PGA Championship is expiring. Whether he'll be back to make a run at the one major that has eluded him is anyone's guess. Mickelson sure isn't saying. He politely declined to talk to reporters after emerging from the scoring area, disappearing into the clubhouse and an uncertain future at a tournament where he's been a runner-up six times. There are a number of ways for Mickelson to make it to Shinnecock next June. The USGA could offer him an exemption, as it did at Torrey Pines in 2020, though that doesn't appear to be USGA chief championship officer John Bodenhamer's first choice. 'I think the way that we would also think of Phil is we hope he earns his way in, and I think he'd tell you the same thing,' Bodenhamer said Wednesday. 'That's what he did last time. We gave him one and then he went out and won the PGA Championship. So wouldn't put it past him.' Mickelson became the oldest major champion ever when he triumphed at Kiawah in 2021 at age 50. A lot has happened since then. Both on the course and off it. The man known universally as 'Lefty' played a major role in LIV Golf's rise, a move that has taken a bit of the shine off of his popularity back home. And while Mickelson's game can still show flashes — he really did knock a sideways flop shot into the hole during a LIV event last week in Virginia — and he looks fitter now than he did two decades ago, the reality is the swashbuckling approach that once endeared him to so many doesn't work that much anymore at the U.S. Open. Mickelson appeared to be in solid position to play the weekend when he stood on the 15th tee. He even on the day and 4 over for the tournament, well inside the cutline. A tee shot into the ankle deep rough at the 489-yard par 4 led to double bogey. He still seemed to be OK when he got to 17, a short uphill par 4. His tee shot sailed into the rough above a greenside bunker. There would be no magic this time. His attempted flop splashed into the sand instead. He blasted out to 25 feet and three-putted for another double bogey. That put him in a position he's been familiar with for a long time: heading to 18 at the U.S. Open needing to make a birdie of consequence. It didn't happen. And as he disappeared into the clubhouse, along with it came the realization that at this point, it likely never will. ___ AP golf: