Game Preview
The Pittsburgh Pirates and the Chicago Cubs are both struggling in the NL Central. Both squads still possess an opportunity to qualify for playoffs; should both teams prevail here, it could set up an epic series battle down the stretch.
The Cubs are coming off of a very good series win against the Orioles and will look to maintain their dominance against a struggling Pirates team. Even though they won the series versus the Orioles they managed to lose the last game so they will be looking to come back to winning ways against a struggling Pirates team.
The Chicago Cubs have been doing okay, as seen by their tie for 13th place in the MLB with a .727 club OPS while averaging 4.5 runs per match. The squad appears to be having some trouble on the road, going 34 matches with a .714 OPS and a 4.12 run average per game. Ian Happ continues to be batting well lately, posting a slash line of .266/.389/.402 with 5 singles, 33 RBI, 26 runs scored, and 5 stolen bases in 7 attempts.
For the Cubs, Drew Smyly will take the mound as this marks his 15th starting appearance of the year in this game. He enters the game with a record of 6-4, a season’s total of 77.2 innings, a 3.59 ERA, a 1.197 WHIP, 21 walks, and 65 strikeouts.
Pittsburgh got swept by the Milwaukee Brewers after being swept by the Chicago Cubs the previous week. They currently have a six-game losing run going on and have dropped from the lead to 3rd in the NL Central. The Pirates hit .245 in their 3 matches this past week versus the Cubs.
Additionally, the Pittsburgh Pirates are having a standard offensive performance thus far this year, as they are ranked 15th in the league with a .726 OPS and average 4.32 runs per contest. With a .248/.332/.383 slash line and an average of 4.12 runs in their first 34 matches at home, they have battled a little more at PNC Park.
In this game, Osvaldo Bido is taking the mound for the Pirates and is making his 2nd MLB start. In the major leagues this season, he has no record, a 2.25 ERA, a 1.75 WHIP, 3 walks, and 6 strikeouts.
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Cubs vs Pirates Game Information
- Date: 06/19/2023
- Time: 07:05 PM ET
- Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
- How to Watch: Cubs vs Pirates MLB.TV
- Live Stream: MLB.TV
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