In this article, we will formulate a Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chicago Cubs Prediction for this MLB showdown on Saturday, May 11th at PNC Park.
Cubs Impressed on Friday
The Cubs sure impressed on Friday, putting up seven runs, and that was enough for the five run victory. Cody Bellinger had a strong game, finishing with four hits, and one of those hits was a home run. The Cubs are averaging 4.58 runs, while their pitching is giving up 4.24 runs per game. The offense is ranked 13th in the league, while the pitching is ranked 13th. They have a team batting average of .233 which is 20th in the league. Christopher Morel has hit eight home runs and driven in 24 RBIs.
Will Steele Be Good Again?
Getting the start for the Cubs will be Justin Steele, who sits with an 0-0 record and an ERA of 0.96. In his last start against the San Diego Padres, he went 4.2 innings, giving up three hits and zero runs.
Pirates Offense Struggled
The Pirates’ offense really struggled on Friday, scoring only two runs, and that led to the defeat. The Pirates pitching wasn’t good either, but they are going to need to find a way to get the offense going here. If the offense struggles here, this is going to be a long game. The Pirates are averaging 3.53 runs, while their pitching is giving up 4.11 runs per game. The offense is ranked 28th in the league, while the defense is ranked 11th. They currently have a run differential of -0.58 which is 20th in the league. Bryan Reynolds has hit four home runs and driven in 17 RBIs. The Pirates will meet the Brewers after this series.
All eyes on Skenes first MLB start
Getting the start for the Pirates will be Paul Skenes who is MLB’s top pitching prospect. He has a 100 MPH fastball and there is a lot of pressure on him. There is so much buzz surrounding him, there is a ton of pressure.
Why the Pittsburgh Pirates will win
- The Cubs have lost eight of their last nine road games against National League opponents following a win.
- The Pirates have won three of their last four day games against National League opponents following a home loss.
- The Cubs have failed to cover the run line in six of their last seven games against NL Central opponents following a road win.
- The Pirates have covered the run line in 10 of their last 13 games against NL Central opponents following a loss.
Why the Chicago Cubs will win
- The Cubs have won each of their last eight Saturday day games against the Pirates.
- The Pirates have lost each of their last four day games against teams that held a winning record.
- The Pirates have failed to cover the run line in each of their last seven games following a loss.
- The road team has covered the run line in seven of the Cubs’ last eight games.
- The Cubs have led after 5 innings in each of their last four day games against the Pirates.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chicago Cubs Prediction
This game is going to be lower scoring. Even though it’s his first start in the MLB, I do expect Skenes is going to be good for the Pirates. Steele has also been good for the Cubs, and he’s going to step up again here. Both of the offenses are going to struggle to get quality at-bats and that will be the difference here as this game is going to stay under the total. Back the under to cash here.