As a crucial six-game road trip through Chicago pivots to the north side of town, the Pittsburgh Pirates are feeling confident as ever.
Pittsburgh (74-73) enters the Friday series opener against the Chicago Cubs on the heels of its first road series sweep of the season.
The Pirates brushed aside the American League Central-leading Chicago White Sox again on Thursday, capping the three-game series with a 2-0 win. Oneil Cruz went 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs, and Jared Jones combined with two relievers on a two-hitter.
“It’s all about being together in the clubhouse,” Cruz said through an interpreter. “We have shown that unity as a team in there, and we all know where we’re heading to. It’s a group effort, it’s a team effort, and I think that’s the key.”
Pittsburgh, which has won four in a row, sits 4 1/2 games back of the San Diego Padres (78-68) in the chase for the final National League wild-card spot.
Manager Don Kelly has stressed an even-keeled approach that he feels has served the Pirates well down the stretch.
“That’s our goal every day: Show up to win that day,” Kelly said. “Whatever it takes. … It’s just been contributions throughout the lineup and everyone on the pitching staff. And that’s our goal every day, to come in and win one game, and then we’ll tackle the next day.”
Chicago (81-66) returns to Wrigley Field for a six-game homestand riding a four-game losing streak. The Cubs sustained a three-game sweep at the hands of the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers this week.
“Not the series we wanted to have here,” Cubs outfielder Ian Happ said, “but we’ve put ourselves in a position where we kind of control our own destiny. Our goal is to play playoff baseball, no matter how that shakes out.”
An 8-6 loss in the series finale on Wednesday put the Cubs 10 games back in the division race with 15 to play. Chicago holds the second NL wild-card spot, one game behind the Philadelphia Phillies (82-65) and 2 1/2 ahead of San Diego.
Left-hander Shota Imanaga is set to start for the Cubs on Friday as he attempts to win consecutive starts for the first time since July 19 and July 25.
Imanaga (9-10, 3.91 ERA) turned in his second quality start in his past four outings en route to a victory at Miami on Sept. 4. He relied on an effective splitter to permit one run and three hits in six-plus innings with no walks and four strikeouts.
After pitching to a 5.96 ERA in five starts covering 22 2/3 innings in August, Imanaga is confident the outing in Miami can spark a turnaround.
“Building trust is like dominos or Jenga, where it takes time and it’s hard to build up, but in an instant it can disappear,” Imanaga said through an interpreter. “So I slowly built that trust back up (to) be that pitcher that everyone can trust on.”
Imanaga has been dominant against the Pirates in his career, going 3-0 with a 0.24 ERA in six starts with 36 strikeouts in 38 innings. He has pitched 12 shutout innings in two starts versus Pittsburgh this season, and he defeated them in Pittsburgh on July 25.
The Pirates are going with a bullpen game in the series opener, with rookie Wilber Dotel (1-4, 4.41 ERA) serving as the opener in his first major league start.
The 23-year-old right-hander has faced the Cubs twice, both times in Pittsburgh. He got a win after throwing three shutout innings on May 25, and he tossed a scoreless inning on July 24.
–Field Level Media
