The Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates will play the finale of their three-game series in Williamsport, Pa., Sunday night. The Little League Classic will be played in the minor league stadium of the Williamsport Crosscutters, a short-A team. The Cubs stopped a four-game losing streak with a 2-0 win over the Pirates Saturday. The last two of those losses came on blown saves, which the Cubs lead the majors in since the All-Star break. Maybe playing a road game that isn’t at a major league stadium will relieve some of their woes. The Cubs are a dreadful 24-39 away from home.
The Cubs will send lefty Jose Quintana (10-7, 4.11 ERA) to square off against Mitch Keller (1-1, 7.94 ERA). Quintana is coming off a start where he had a career-best 14 strikeouts. Keller will be making his fifth major league start.
The Cubs are the favorite at -155, and the over/under is 10.
Cubs Tied for First Place
Despite all their road woes, the Cubs were able to join St. Louis at the top of the NL Central with their win and a Cardinals loss Saturday night. Chicago is 65-58 on the season. The Cubs have won five of their last six meetings with the Pirates.
Quintana is in his best stretch of the season. Over the last three starts, he is 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA. Since the All-Star break, he is 4-0 with a 1.10 WHIP and a 3.89 ERA. In his career, Quintana is 4-1 with a 2.89 ERA in eight starts against the Pirates, including 3-0 with a 2.70 ERA this season. Chicago could be getting some help in the bullpen as Craig Kimbrel may be activated for tonight’s game.
Cubs hitters have never faced Keller. Since being acquired via trade, Nicholas Castellanos has been the Cubs’ best hitter. He has an OPS of 1.063, going 22 for 63 with seven doubles and five homers. Ian Happ has also been a bright spot for the Cubs since being called up, with an OPS of .935 with seven extra-base hits.
Chicago has Brandon Morrow, Daniel Descalso, Steve Cishek, and Kimbrel on the IL.
Pirates Slumping to Season’s End
The Pirates have been absolutely brutal since the All-Star break. They have gone 7-26 to drop their record to 51-71. They are 25-33 at home.
Keller, the top-ranked Pirates prospect, will be making his second straight start since being called up. He has a WHIP of 2.00 and has given up 26 hits in 17 innings. He did have a really good start in his outing last week against the Angels, going five innings and allowing five hits and only one earned run.
Pirates hitters have struggled mightily against Quintana. They have a team OPS of .518 in 93 plate appearances. The only Pirates player with an OPS of .800 or above is Kevin Newman, who is 4 for 9 against Quintana. Josh Bell does have a home run against the veteran left-hander but is only 2 for 11. Pittsburgh has really struggled against all lefties this year with an OPS of .677.
The Pirates have Jameson Taillon on the IL, and Jose Osuna is suspended.
The Pick
The Cubs haven’t won a road series since May. If they want to win the NL Central, that needs to change, and change quickly. The Pirates should be just what the doctor ordered, as they have been the worst team in baseball since the break. I think the lighter atmosphere and interaction with the little leaguers should help the Cubs relax. Quintana has dominated the Pirates, and that should continue tonight. I really like the under 10 as well since both offenses have been struggling. I like the Cubs at -155 and the under 10.
