Cubs vs. Pirates Pick
Can the Chicago Cubs win for a second straight day at the Pittsburgh Pirates to split the four-game series? First pitch is at 7:10PM EST.
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Cubs are a -135 favorite to win on the moneyline. The Pirates are a +115 underdog and the over-under is set at 7.5.
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Jon Lester (9-7, 4.46 ERA) will start for Chicago, while Pittsburgh counters with Jameson Taillon (7-5, 4.50). Lester has a 1.29 WHIP with 159 strikeouts over 153 1/3 innings. He returned from the disabled list to allow four earned runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and a walk over five innings in a 14-12 home win over Atlanta. Lester has a 4.27 ERA in 11 road starts. He was bombed for 10 runs (four earned) in 0 2/3 innings the last time he faced the Pirates on July 9. Taillon has a 1.51 WHIP with 107 strikeouts in 112 innings. He threw six shutout innings in a 5-0 home win over the Reds his last start, giving up three hits while striking out four and walking one.
Chicago comes in with a 76-63 record and is 36-34 on the road, while Pittsburgh is 67-73 and 39-33 at home. The Cubs have won six of the last 10 meetings and the total has gone under seven times.
Wednesday’s game was won 1-0 by Chicago as Alex Avila broke a scoreless tie in the top of the ninth inning with an RBI triple. Leonys Martin scored the run as a pinch runner. Pedro Strop picked up the win in relief. David Freese was 1-for-3 with a walk for the Pirates. Daniel Hudson took the loss in relief.
The Pirates hit around Lester the last meeting and the Cubs lefty is having a very down year by his standards. Taillon, on the other hand, has been pitching well after a couple awful starts in July. We’re going to take Pittsburgh at home to win the series.
MLB DAILY PREDICTION: PITTSBURGH PIRATES +115