Cubs bid to ignite offense in series finale vs. Pirates
Offense has been hard to come by for the Chicago Cubs in August.
And though they still struggled in a 3-1 victory against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, the Cubs hope the come-from-behind win will provide a boost in the rubber match of the teams' three-game series on Sunday afternoon.
Seiya Suzuki knocked in the go-ahead run with a single in the eighth inning before Nico Hoerner drove in another run in the inning for insurance.
'When the lineup's been struggling a little bit, these games are a great opportunity to create momentum,' Suzuki said via an interpreter. 'The hope is we'll keep it going.'
Chicago has been held to three runs or less in 10 of its 14 games this month.
'This is a good baseball team that's proven itself,' Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. 'We haven't scored some runs in a little bit of a stretch here. We will, because this is a good offense. That makes me optimistic, and it makes me know that we will score runs. We will be a good offense.'
Kyle Tucker is one of those looking to get back on track. The right fielder has struggled since the All-Star break, hitting .198 in the season's second half. In August, he's managed just a .170 average in 13 games.
He went 2-for-4 on Saturday after going 0-for-14 in his previous four games.
'We're still a really good team regardless of how the last couple weeks or whatever has gone,' Tucker said. 'We're still in a playoff hunt right now and in the playoffs currently. ... Our goal is to grind out the season and get to the playoffs and try to win from there. That's what we're going to try to do.'
Right-hander Javier Assad (0-1, 9.00 ERA), who returned from injury to make his season debut on Tuesday, will start in the series finale for the Cubs, who hold the top wild-card spot in the National League.
Assad surrendered four runs on eight hits in four innings Tuesday in a 5-1 setback to the Toronto Blue Jays. He is 2-0 with a 2.66 ERA in four career starts against Pittsburgh.
Like the Cubs, the Pirates will look to get their offense going after failing to convert on their opportunities Saturday.
'We just have to find a way to get the big base hit,' Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly said. 'It's something that we've talked about a lot. Finding ways to stay gap to gap, keep the line moving and come up with that big hit.'
Right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski (2-7, 4.20 ERA) will serve as the opener in what is expected to be a bullpen game for the Pirates. Mlodzinski has faced the Cubs seven times in his career, starting once. He has a 2.70 ERA without a decision over 13 1/3 innings.
The bullpen will have a new addition in left-hander Andrew Heaney, who was added to the group after a lengthy slump during which he allowed 39 runs (37 earned) and 13 home runs over his past 10 games (nine starts). He'll remain there for the rest of the season.
'I've been in the game long enough to know that you get opportunities that you earn, and I haven't earned it,' Heaney said.
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