At Wrigley Field
Game time: 8:05 PM ET
Probable starters:
PIT: Chad Kuhl (6-9 4.52 ERA)
CHC: Jake Arrieta (13-8, 3.49 ERA)
Quote:
This time last season, the Cubs were running away with the National League Central title. But as the Pirates and Cubs return to Wrigley Field on Tuesday night, they understand that every game still matters in their crowded division race.
Right-hander Jake Arrieta will start for the Cubs against Pirates right-hander Chad Kuhl. The Bucs have spent most of the year below .500, but they believe they can contend if they take advantage of their upcoming matchups with the NL Central-leading Cubs.
The Cubs have the lowest win total of any division leader, and the Brewers and Cardinals have hung around between the first-place Cubs and fourth-place Bucs. Cubs manager Joe Maddon expects the competition will only intensify as they play 23 of their final 32 games against their NL Central competition.
"The division started out slowly, but a lot of the teams have played catch-up," Maddon said. "Up and down, nobody is going to go away. I thought [the NL Central] has been trending better, the entire division. It's never easy, but it's fun. Who wants it to be easy? Easy is never fun."
Things to know about this game
• Arrieta has recorded 43.4 percent of his swinging strikes in two-strike counts this season, the sixth-highest rate among pitchers with at least 200 total whiffs. The right-hander has a 15.4 percent swinging-strike rate with two strikes, compared with 7.7 percent in all other counts.
• One Pirate who's had a great deal of success against Arrieta: first baseman Josh Bell. The rookie is 6-for-11 with two doubles, a homer and three walks off Arrieta. Left fielder Starling Marte (8-for-29), right fielder John Jaso (5-for-27), infielder Josh Harrison (2-for-23), third baseman David Freese (4-for-22) and shortstop Jordy Mercer (3-for-18) have struggled to solve Arrieta.
• During the Pirates' last trip to Wrigley Field, Kuhl made a three-inning spot start on two days' rest and allowed one run on two hits. In his only other outing against the Cubs this year, they lit him up for nine runs on eight hits and four walks in 1 2/3 innings on April 24. But he's a different pitcher than he was then, posting a 3.30 ERA over his last 11 outings after recording a 5.58 ERA in his first 15 starts.
https://www.mlb.com/gameday/pirates-vs- ... 72/preview#GONUTTINGSWALLET
