Chi. Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates Picks and Predictions September 3rd 2024

From Wrigley Field in Chicago, we have the Pirates and Cubs facing off in an NL Central matchup. This one gets started at 7:40 PM ET, and it can be seen on MARQ. The money line odds have the Pirates at -128 compared to the Cubs at +107. The over/under line is currently 6.5 runs.

The forecast for Tuesday’s matchup calls for clear skies and temperatures in the mid-70s. Kyle Hendricks will start for the Cubs, and he is facing a Pirates club that is 64-73. Pittsburgh will be sending Paul Skanes to the mound.

Paul Skenes gets the start for the Pirates today as he faces the Cubs on the road. So far this season, he has made 18 starts and has a record of 8-2. Skenes’ ERA for the season is an impressive 2.23, along with a WHIP of .95. In his 18 starts, he has turned in 13 quality starts and is averaging 11.23 strikeouts per nine innings. Looking back at his last outing, Skenes finished with a no-decision, giving up two earned runs in five innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts.

Andrew McCutchen has been swinging a hot bat of late for the Pirates, going 4/12 in his last three games with two homers and five RBIs. Overall, McCutchen is on a nine-game hitting streak. Bryan Reynolds has also been swinging a good bat, going 8/24 in his last six games, with two homers and five RBIs. For the season, Reynolds is batting .282 with a team-high 22 homers.

Overall, the Pirates are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 20th in the league. They have been a little better at home, averaging 4.3 runs per game. As a team, they are batting just .236 and are 22nd in the league in home runs.

Kyle Hendricks will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Pirates, as he finished with a no-decision after giving up six earned runs in just 1 2/3 innings of work. In that outing, he gave up three homers. Looking back over his last three outings, Hendricks has finished with a no-decision in each one. He has made 19 starts this season and has a record of 3-10 with a 6.75 ERA. Opponents are batting .295 off Hendricks this season. The right-hander has a WHIP of 1.53. Hendricks has made 11 starts at home and has a 5.78 ERA compared to 9.44 on the road.

Over the past eight games, Ian Happ has been on a tear for the Cubs, going 15/35 (.429) with eight RBIs. For the season, he leads the Cubs with 79 RBIs and is 14th in the league with 23 homers. Nico Hoerner is currently on a nine-game hitting streak and is batting .259 for the season with five homers.

As a team, the Cubs are averaging 4.6 runs per game and are 13th in the league in team batting average at .240. They have been a better offensive team on the road this season, averaging 5 runs per game. Overall, they are 8th in home runs and have the 11th best on-base percentage in the league.

Paul Skenes Seeks Redemption as Pirates Face Cubs in Crucial Matchup

Rookie sensation Paul Skenes is ready to hit the mound again for the Pittsburgh Pirates as they go head-to-head with the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night. This marks the fourth time Skenes has taken on the Cubs this season, adding another exciting chapter to what’s becoming an intense rivalry between the young pitcher and the North Siders.

Skenes’ Dominance Against the Cubs

Skenes, a 22-year-old right-hander who’s already made waves by starting the National League All-Star Game, has quickly become one of the most exciting pitching prospects we’ve seen in years. Sporting an impressive 8-2 record with a 2.23 ERA, he’s struck out 136 batters over 109 innings, while holding opposing hitters to a mere .201 batting average.

Skenes’ first two career starts were against the Cubs, with his second outing being one for the books. He pitched six no-hit innings at Wrigley Field, striking out 11 before being pulled from the game. However, his most recent start against Chicago, just last Wednesday, didn’t go as planned. Despite leaving the game with a lead, the Cubs staged a massive comeback, scoring 11 runs over the last three innings to take a 14-10 win.

Despite that tough loss, the Pirates bounced back on Monday with a thrilling 5-3 victory in the first game of their three-game series. Bryan Reynolds tied the game with a three-run homer in the eighth inning, and Andrew McCutchen followed up with a go-ahead shot just two batters later, snapping Chicago’s six-game winning streak.

Cubs’ Missed Opportunity and Pitching Woes

The Cubs had a golden chance to tighten their grip on a playoff spot, but Monday’s collapse threw a wrench in their plans. Chicago had been on fire, winning nine of their last ten games and racking up 99 runs during that stretch. But on Monday, they managed just three runs, with Dansby Swanson hitting a solo homer and Ian Happ adding a two-run triple.

The game seemed to be under control for the Cubs, especially after seven shutout innings from right-hander Jameson Taillon. But the decision to pull him after 89 pitches and bring in Jorge Lopez backfired, as Lopez surrendered both homers in the eighth inning.

The Cubs’ pitching situation went from bad to worse with the news that left-hander Justin Steele was scratched from Tuesday’s start due to elbow soreness. In his place, veteran right-hander Kyle Hendricks (3-10, 6.75 ERA) will take the mound. Hendricks has had a rough year, especially against the Pirates. In his last start against Pittsburgh, he was hammered for six runs on eight hits in just 1 2/3 innings. His overall record against the Pirates this season? 0-1 with an 11.12 ERA.

Pirates Look to Build Momentum

The Pirates have had a tough stretch, going just 8-19 over their last 27 games. But with Skenes on the mound, there’s always a glimmer of hope for a turnaround. Skenes, who’s also a top contender for the NL Rookie of the Year award alongside San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill, has proven to be a rock for Pittsburgh.

Chicago hitters have had mixed results against Skenes. Nico Hoerner is 2-for-3 with a home run, but other key players like Michael Busch and Isaac Paredes are a combined 0-for-10 against the young ace.

As this series continues, Pittsburgh is looking to build on the momentum from Monday’s comeback win, while the Cubs are desperate to stay in the playoff hunt. With Skenes taking the mound, all eyes will be on the rookie phenom as he looks to solidify his status as one of baseball’s brightest rising stars.

Our lean for a money line pick in this Pirates vs. Cubs matchup is to take the Cubs to come out on top. As for how we would play the over/under line, we would go with the over, as this is projected to be the 3rd lowest-scoring game of the day, and this one has the 2nd lowest total hits projection. Looking at today’s starters, we have Kyle Hendricks finishing with the lowest strikeout total among today’s starters compared to Paul Skenes for the Pirates, who has the 3rd best projection.