NEWSLETTER
Jake Arrieta’s strong (re-)debut on Saturday has given the Cubs a shot to win this very winnable home-series against the Pirates later today (it’s our first rubber match of the year, and I’m already nervous). I just want the Cubs to get their head above .500 and stay there the rest of the season.
Fortunately, I’m feeling pretty good about it. As we discussed earlier, Pirates starter Mitch Keller does have real talent and is almost certainly a lot better than his stats have shown thus far, but he hasn’t put it all together at this level just yet. He also does legitimately struggle against left-handed hitters (of which the Cubs have many), and a few Cubs in particular have already hit him well early in his career. It’s not a no-brainer matchup for Chicago, but you don’t hate their chances to make some noise, either.
Meanwhile, Zach Davies is taking the mound in his first regular season start for the Cubs since coming over in the Yu Darvish trade this winter, and he’s got a lot to prove this year as an impending free agent. Throughout his career, but especially last season, Davies, 28, has been able to get the results (2.73 ERA in 2020) without the peripherals (5.73 FIP), but he’ll want to tighten all that up as he approaches free agency as a sub-30-year old righty in a world where free agent dollars may quickly loosen up. In other words, he’s got a lot to play for and it all starts today.
If the Cubs win the game, they win the series. And that’s all you can ask from them every time out. So let’s see it, Cubs. Get off to a nice start and give us something to celebrate on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.
Game Info
Pittsburgh Pirates (1-1) at Chicago Cubs (1-1) – Sunday, April 3rd at 1:20 CT on Marquee Sports Network, 670 The Score
Starting Pitchers
Pirates: Mitch Keller (R)
versus
Cubs: Zach Davies (R)
Chicago Cubs (Lineup Discussion):
1. Ian Happ, CF
2. Willson Contreras, C
3. Anthony Rizzo, 1B
4. Kris Bryant, 3B
5. Joc Pederson, LF
6. Javy Baez, SS
7. Jason Heyward, RF
8. Eric Sogard, 2B
9. Zach Davies, P
Pittsburgh Pirates:
1. Adam Frazier, 2B
2. Kevin Newman, SS
3. Bryan Reynolds, LF
4. Colin Moran, 1B
5. Phillip Evans, 3B
6. Gregory Polanco, RF
7. Michael Perez, C
8. Anthony Alford, CF
9. Mitch Keller, P
