Pirates ask Liriano to conquer Arrieta’s Cubs
Opponents have tugged on Jake Arrieta’s Superman cape quite a bit in recent weeks. Are the Pirates capable of busting out the full-fledged kryptonite?
Pittsburgh aims to stay in scorching form as it battles the Cubs and their ace tonight, with a 7:05 p.m. ET first pitch at PNC Park. Oddsmakers at online sports book BetDSI nonetheless lean toward the visitors, whereas Clint Hurdle’s club represents a +170 underdog. The over/under run figure is eight.
Despite yesterday’s 5-1 setback at the hands of St. Louis, the Buccos enter this evening having won 10 of 13. The starting staff, in particular, continues to surge after a largely rocky June. Triple-A reinforcements such as Jameson Taillon, Tyler Glasnow and Steven Brault all are consistently delivering quality outings.
In order to prevail in a few hours, however, Hurdle must receive a representative performance from one of his veteran stalwarts. Francisco Lirano pursues win No. 1 vs. Chicago in 2016. The lefty lost a 9-4 decision at Wrigley Field on May 13 and a 6-0 verdict to Arrieta three weeks ago. He’s 5-4 with a 3.36 ERA in 13 lifetime assignments against the North Siders.
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Arrieta, while still equipped with eye-popping numbers on the season, seems to be fighting through a rare rough phase. He’s surrendered a total of eight runs and 12 hits over the last two outings. Interestingly, only one of Arrieta’s previous six performances has yielded at least seven innings of work.
The reining NL Cy Young Award winner typically feasts on the Pirates, though, to the tune of a 9-1 mark in 12 career meetings. He’ll flirt with shackling the hosts yet again, but the Buccos also understand the importance of seizing the opener. With Chad Kuhl and the increasingly erratic Jonathon Niese following Liriano in the rotation, the best chance to muzzle the Cubbies comes here.
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