After relying on a powerful offense for most of the season, the Chicago Cubs hope their success on the mound continues on Sunday afternoon.
Chicago will aim for a series win against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates in the final meeting of a four-game set.
The Cubs, who rank second in the majors with 382 runs, have just eight across their last four games. In the first three games of the team’s series with Pittsburgh, Chicago’s pitching staff has allowed only five runs — with each game decided by one run.
“It’s part of the schedule; you expect to play close games,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “We’re not going to play 8-3 games every day. But the pitching, the bullpen, the defense, you count on all of those things to win.”
Dansby Swanson’s solo home run in the sixth inning was the difference in the Cubs’ 2-1 win on Saturday. Swanson is tied for third with Kyle Tucker on the club with 13 homers — behind only Pete Crow-Armstrong’s 18 and Seiya Suzuki’s 17. Chicago ranks third in the National League with 97 home runs.
“I think the power has been a strength of this team throughout the lineup,” Counsell said. “That was homer number 13 from our shortstop in the middle of June. That’s pretty darn good.”
Chicago right-hander Colin Rea (4-2, 3.92 ERA) will aim to bounce back on Sunday after lasting just 4 1/3 innings on Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies, allowing four earned runs on seven hits. The Cubs won 8-4.
Rea is 3-3 with a 5.91 ERA in appearances (six starts) against the Pirates. The veteran earned a victory over Pittsburgh on May 1, throwing six innings of two-run, four-hit ball.
The Pirates’ season-long offensive woes were on display in their one-run loss on Saturday, as the team mustered just one extra-base hit — Andrew McCutchen’s solo home run in the first inning.
Pittsburgh’s .227 batting average is better than only the Colorado Rockies (.224) and Chicago White Sox (.222). The Pirates’ 230 runs and 50 homers also are the second-worst totals in the majors.
Right-hander Mitch Keller (1-9, 4.15 ERA), who has been a victim of the Pirates’ lack of run support, is scheduled to make his 15th start of the year in the series finale. He will aim for his first win since his season debut against the Miami Marlins on March 28.
Keller has completed at least six innings in seven consecutive outings but has gone 0-6 in those starts. Last time out, he allowed three earned runs across six innings in a 3-2 loss to Miami on Tuesday.
“It’s tough because he’s pitched well enough to win some ballgames,” Pirates interim manager Don Kelly said of Keller. “He’s done a great job like he did (against Miami) to give us a chance to win, and unfortunately, there’s been a lot of times that we haven’t been able to come through for him.”
Keller is 5-5 with a 4.91 ERA in 13 career appearances (12 starts) against the Cubs.
–Field Level Media
