Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chi. Cubs Picks and Predictions August 27th 2024

Chicago and Pittsburgh are set to face off in an NL Central matchup at 6:40 PM ET at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA. The Cubs are 66-66 this season, while the Pirates are 62-69. Chicago is 2nd in the NL Central, while the Pirates are 5th.

Justin Steele will start for the Cubs, while the Pirates are sending Jared Jones to the mound. On the money line, the Cubs are the slight favorite, with their odds sitting at -135 compared to the Pirates at +114. The over/under line is currently 8 runs, and the game can be seen on SN PT.

Left-hander Justin Steele gets the start for the Cubs today as he faces the Pirates on the road. He has made 21 starts this season and has a record of 4-5 with a 3.07 ERA. Steele’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.06, and he has turned in 11 quality starts. In his last outing, Steele picked up the win, going seven innings and giving up two earned runs on 10 hits. Before that, he had gone two straight outings without giving up an earned run. Steele has been much better at home this season, coming in with a 3.39 ERA compared to 3.27 on the road.

Although the Cubs offense has been pretty average this season, they have been swinging the bats well of late. Miguel Amaya, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Seiya Suzuki have all been swinging the bat well, with Amaya hitting .444 over his last eight games, and Suzuki and Crow-Armstrong each having two homers in their last nine games. Ian Happ has also been swinging the bat well, going 10/35 in his last nine games with two homers.

For the season, Happ is the Cubs’ leader in homers (23) and RBIs (72), but he is batting just .237. Nico Hoerner is on a three-game hitting streak and is batting .255 for the season with five homers and 38 RBIs. Isaac Paredes is also near the top of the Cubs’ home run leaderboard, with 19 long balls, but he is batting just .229.

Jared Jones is looking to bounce back from his last outing, where he gave up one earned run in five innings of work. In that start vs. the Cardinals, he gave up two homers. Against the Cubs today, the right-hander has a record of 5-6 and an ERA of 3.56. Looking at his home/away splits, Jones has an ERA of 2.22 at home compared to 5.84 on the road. So far, he has turned in nine quality starts and is averaging 9.69 strikeouts per nine innings. For the season, Jones has given up 12 homers and is averaging 2.67 walks per nine innings.

So far this season, the Pirates are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 23rd in the league. Their team batting average of .235 is 18th in the league, and they are also 22nd in home runs. Bryan Reynolds has been the team’s top power threat this season, as his 20 homers is 1st on the team and 15th in the league. He also leads the Pirates with 72 RBIs and is batting .280.

Oneil Cruz has been swinging the bat well of late, going 9/25 in his last seven games. During this stretch, he has two runs scored and two RBIs. Yasmani Grandal has also been swinging the bat well, going 5/15 in his last four games, including two homers. Grandal also comes into the game on a four-game hitting streak.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are set to bring back one of their most promising young pitchers, Jared Jones, as they continue their series against the Chicago Cubs. After being sidelined since July 3 due to a lat strain, Jones is eager to return to the mound on Tuesday, aiming to stifle a Chicago lineup that exploded for 18 runs in their series opener on Monday.

Jared Jones’ Anticipated Return

Jared Jones, a 23-year-old right-hander, last pitched for the Pirates in early July before a lat injury sent him to the injured list. His return has been eagerly awaited, especially after his dominant rehab performances for Triple-A Indianapolis, where he recently struck out 10 batters in five scoreless innings.

Jones, who has a 5-6 record with a 3.56 ERA this season, expressed both excitement and a bit of nervousness about returning to the big leagues. Pirates manager Derek Shelton highlighted the importance of Jones finishing the season strong: “It’s gonna be really important for him to finish the season… Him being healthy, him finishing is something that’s very important for us and it’s very important for him moving forward.”

While Jones might have his pitch count monitored as he eases back into the Pirates’ rotation, his powerful arm will be crucial in trying to tame a Cubs offense that’s coming off one of its best performances of the season.

Cubs’ Offensive Outburst

The Chicago Cubs are looking to build on the momentum from their explosive 18-8 victory on Monday, where they set season highs in runs, hits (21), and stolen bases (eight). Leading the charge was catcher Miguel Amaya, who delivered a career-high four hits and continued his resurgence at the plate after a challenging start to the season.

Amaya, who has hit .352 with five home runs and 20 RBIs since returning to the lineup in early July, attributes his improved performance to simplifying his swing. “I think he just got to a point where he felt like this adjustment was going to take him to the level that he’s at now,” said Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson, who also contributed with a grand slam in the win.

Another key player for the Cubs has been rookie center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, who has batted .311 since late July. Crow-Armstrong and Amaya have formed a dynamic duo at the bottom of Chicago’s lineup, combining for seven hits, five RBIs, four runs, and three stolen bases in Monday’s game.

High Stakes for Both Teams

For the Cubs, Tuesday’s game offers a shot at moving above .500 for the first time since May. With Chicago still in the hunt for a National League wild-card spot, every game is critical. The Cubs will send left-hander Justin Steele to the mound, fresh off a season-high 10-strikeout performance against the Detroit Tigers. However, Steele has struggled against Pittsburgh this season, posting an 0-1 record with a 9.33 ERA in two starts.

On the other side, Jones will be looking to make a strong return, hoping to cool off a red-hot Cubs lineup and keep the Pirates competitive in the National League. Jones has faced the Cubs twice this season, giving up five earned runs across two starts, winning one and losing the other.

Key Matchup to Watch

Tuesday’s game will showcase a classic pitcher vs. hitter duel, with Jared Jones’ powerful arm going up against a Cubs lineup that has recently found its groove. While Chicago’s hitters have been relentless, Jones’ return adds an intriguing twist to the matchup. The Pirates are counting on him to quickly regain his form and help neutralize the Cubs’ offense.

For Chicago, Justin Steele will aim to maintain his strong pitching against a Pittsburgh lineup that’s looking for a spark. Despite his earlier struggles against the Pirates, Steele’s recent performances suggest he might be poised for a better outing this time around.

Despite this Cubs vs. Pirates matchup being one of the lowest-scoring games in today’s slate, we are actually leaning towards taking the over. As for how we would play the money line in this one, we like the Cubs to come out on top. Looking at the starting pitching matchup, we see Justin Steele having a good strikeout game for the Cubs, while Jared Jones has the 3rd best chance to pick up a win among today’s starters.