Pirates Look to Rebound vs. Cubs: What to Expect
At the beginning of the 2020 season, you knew the Pirates were going to have to battle to compete with a roster of mostly young guys. Through the first two series of the shortened 2020 season, that inexperience has shown through as the Pirates have gone 2-4 dropping both of their opening series. They now head back on the road for their second road trip of the season, and their competition doesn't get any easier. They are staring down the red hot Chicago Cubs, who enter Friday's series opener having won each of their first two series sitting at 4-2. Even though it is still early in the season, the Pirates are going to have to start making some moves if they want to compete in the Central this season.
The offense needs a definite pick-me-up after getting just one hit in the series finale with Milwaukee, and facing a new team might do that for them. The Cubs have not year announced who will start any of the three games in the Pirates series adding a little element of surprise as to what the Pirates can expect. The starting rotation has looked good so far, holding both the Cardinals and Brewers at bay, but they will have some work to do against some of the top hitters in the National League including Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, and Anthony Rizzo. It's time to look at what we can expect as the Pirates try to rebound and get back into contention at Wrigley Field.
Figuring Out Wrigley Field
Last season, the Pirates had a decent record against the Chicago Cubs going 8-11 in the 19 match-ups. However, the splits between how the Pirates performed at PNC Park and Wrigley Field were drastically different. When the Pirates were the home team, they went 7-3 and averaged 5.8 runs per game, with the outlier being an 18 run effort on July 1st, 2019. Scoring runs on a consistent basis like that is usually a recipe for success and the Pirates looked to be finding their groove against the Cubs. However, when the series goes to Wrigley Field things are drastically different for the Pirates as the odds turn against them.
In nine games at Wrigley Field last season, the Pirates went just 1-8 and averaged just three runs per game. It wasn't just the fact that the hitters weren't hitting at Wrigley Field, but the pitchers couldn't get into a groove either. At PNC Park, Pirates pitchers allowed an average of 4.2 runs per game to the Cubs. However, at Wrigley Field, that number jumped up to just over nine runs per game. The Cubs feature a righty heavy line-up, especially with their big power threats, and PNC Park helps to neutralize their power a little bit. However, Wrigley field is much shorter to left field, measuring 355 feet, and that works into the team's strengths.
Whatever the cause for the Pirates struggles at Wrigley Field, they are going to have to figure things out this time around. They already sit at 2-4 and are in a tie for last place with the Cincinnati Reds. A bad series for the Pirates could drop them as low as 2-7 or 3-6 and it would take a lot to battle back from that. The good news, Trevor Williams has had some success against the Cubs in the past. During the 2018 season, Williams held the Cubs, top three hitters, under a .200 batting average. Mitch Keller had one of his best starts in Chicago last year and Chad Kuhl looked great in his return from injury. If the Pirates hitters can get their pitchers some support, it could be a good series for Pittsburgh.
Josh Can Ring His Bell
It has been a slow start to the 2020 season for many of the Pirates star players including Josh Bell. Over the first six games of the season, Bell is hitting just .174 (4-23) with no home runs and one RBI. Bell is one of the many stars around the league who are off to slow starts as the pitchers seem to be ahead of the hitters. However, the trip to Wrigley Field might ignite Bell's bat given that he has had success there in the past. Colin Moran has made up for Bell's lack of production, but for the Pirates to be competitive this season, this series could be a big one as Bell tries to get back on track.
Bell has had a track record of success against the Cubs, especially in the rub production department. Last season, he hit .255 against the Cubbies with four home runs and 12 RBI. Just like the rest of his teammates, a lot of that success came at PNC Park, but he is a guy who needs that jump start to get going. Even if he gets a home run into the basket, it could be enough to spark this extreme power threat. With the Pirates offense struggling as a whole, even if Bell can produce half as well as he did last year, it would help balance out the hot starts of Colin Moran and Phillip Evans and give the Pirates a big bopper in the middle of their lineup.
Players to Watch:
Pirates: IF Phillip Evans
He was the man who came through with the team's only hit in Wednesday's 3-0 loss to Milwaukee. Phillip Evans has burst onto the scene through his first four games of the season. He is currently hitting .385 with two RBI in his first four games and has been a spark plug for the Pirates offense. Both of his RBI came in big situations for the team as he helped tie ball games and extend leads. His first came on an RBI double in the top of the eighth in St. Louis that gave his team a 5-1 lead. His second was in the bottom of the seventh of the Pirates 8-6 comeback win against Milwaukee. He grounded a hustle RBI double up the middle that tied the game at 6-6. Look for Phillips to get more playing time against his former team as he continues to develop at the Major League level.
Chicago Cubs: C Wilson Contreras
Much like the Pirates, several of the Chicago Cubs star players have gotten off to a rough start. For the Cubs, the person picking up the slack was catcher Wilson Contreras who has played well in five games. He has hit .313 with one home run and four RBI, with his biggest hit coming in the team's 9-1 blowout win over the Milwaukee Brewers. He went 2-4 in that game with the big blow being a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh that put the game out of reach. He also had an RBI double earlier in that game that gave the Cubs a 2-0 lead. Contreras is looking to continue his hot start and keep the Cubs on their winning ways against the Pirates.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are off tonight but will return to action for game one of their three-game series on Friday. Trevor Williams (0-1) makes his second start of the season for the Pirates, and the Cubs have not yet announced who they will be starting for any of the three games. You can watch the game on AT&T Sportsnet or listen on 93.7 The Fan with first pitch scheduled for 8:15 pm at Wrigley Field.
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