PIRATES GAME PREVIEW

CHICAGO CUBS (71-51) vs. PITTSBURGH PIRATES (62-62) PA

GAME #125/HOME

Chi. Cubs at Pittsburgh

When: 1:35 PM ET, Sunday, August 19, 2018

Where: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Chicago Cubs remain among the National League leaders in most offensive statistical categories, but they’re mired in an awful slump at the moment. The Cubs will try to bust out of their offensive funk and claim a series victory when they visit the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday for the finale of their four-game set.

Chicago has won nine of its last 14 contests and owns a four-game lead over St. Louis in the NL Central, but the latest outage by a streaky offense is concerning. The Cubs have scored just one run in each of the first three games of the series, but after blanking the Pirates in the first two contests, they dropped a 3-1 decision on Saturday. Chicago has a good opportunity to get the offense going Sunday with Jameson Taillon on the mound, as stars Anthony Rizzo (8-for-16, two homers) and Javier Baez (9-for-13, two) have hit the right-hander hard. Pittsburgh snapped its five-game skid Saturday but remains 10 games behind the Cubs and six back of the Cardinals for the second NL wild card.

TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, ABC 7 (Chicago), AT&T SportsNet-Pittsburgh

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs LH Jose Quintana (10-9, 4.46 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Jameson Taillon (9-9, 3.66)

QUINTANA has been banged around in his last two starts, allowing five runs in each and losing both. The 29-year-old served up three home runs to Milwaukee on Tuesday and has surrendered six blasts in his last four outings. Quintana is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA in three career starts against the Pirates, whom he hasn’t faced this season.

TAILLON has recorded four straight quality starts and allowed three or fewer earned runs in each of his last 14 outings. The 26-year-old took the loss last time out, as he allowed three runs over six innings in a 5-2 defeat at Minnesota. Taillon beat the Cubs on July 31, but he’s 3-3 with a 4.86 ERA in six career meetings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cubs 2B-OF Ben Zobrist recorded two more hits Saturday and has gone 28-for-71 since the All-Star break to raise his average to .309.

2. Pirates LHP Felipe Vazquez converted his 17th consecutive save chance Saturday and has pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings this month.

3. Cubs RHP Brandon Morrow (biceps) on Saturday threw his first bullpen session since going on the disabled list July 15, but there is no timetable for his return.

GAME NOTES

THE PIRATES...snapped their season-high tying five-game losing streak last night...Have lost five of their last six games after winning four-of-five...Have gone 9-13 in their last 22 games after winning 11 in a row between 7/11-24...Have produced a 22-15 record since July 7 and a 26-21 record in their last 47 games, dating back to 6/25...Were a season-high nine games over .500 following the action on 5/17 (26-17)...Were 60-64 after 124 games in 2017 (60-65 after 125).

OH SOLO MIO: For the first time in team history, the Pirates have allowed exactly one run in three straight games, with all three runs coming on solo homers (courtesy Elias Sports Bureau)...The last Major League team to accomplish this was Oakland from August 22-24, 2016; a 1-0 loss vs. Cleveland, a 9-1 win vs. Cleveland and a 5-1 win vs. Cleveland.

THE COMPLETE STORY: Jameson Taillon is the only National League pitcher with two complete games this season and one of only five in the Majors...Taillon picked up his second CG in his start at Coors Field in Colorado on 8/7.

NOTES ON JAMO: In his last six starts, Jameson Taillon has surrendered a total of 12 runs in 40.0 innings of work while winning four-of-six decisions...Dating back to June 1, Taillon has produced a 3.06 ERA (82.1ip/28), the 10th-lowest mark in the National League in that time...Taillon has posted a 9-4 record and a 3.03 ERA (118.2ip/40er) in 20 career starts during the afternoon (the Pirates are 14-6)...Today’s outing will match his career-high of 25 starts set a year ago.

WELL RESTED: In the last seven games, the Pittsburgh starting pitchers have posted a 2.62 ERA (44.2ip/13er)...Dating back to July 11, the starters have produced a 3.31 ERA (190.1ip/70er) and the team has gone 20-13...Their 3.31 ERA in that time is the sixth-best mark among all Major League teams. PITCHING IN: Dating back to July 7, the Pirates rank first among National League teams and second in the Major Leagues with a 3.24 ERA (325.0ip/117er)...The only team with a better ERA in that time is the Oakland Athletics (2.88). GEORGIA ON OUR MINDS: Pittsburgh’s homestand continues tomorrow night with the beginning of a three-game series vs. Atlanta...The Braves are the only the National League team Pittsburgh has yet to face this season...Beginning tomorrow, six of Pittsburgh’s next 12 games are scheduled to come against Atlanta...The Bucs went 3-0 against the Braves at PNC Park in 2017.

BUCCO BATS: After scoring a total of 34 runs in four games between August 7-10, the Bucco batters have hit a collective .228 (50-for-219) with 10 extra-base hits and 16 runs in the last seven games...The Pirates have been held to a total of nine runs in their last five games.

BUCS/CUBS: The Pirates are 6-8 against the Cubs this season, going 3-5 here at PNC Park and 3-3 at Wrigley Field...Following today’ tilt, the two clubs are not scheduled to face each other until the final week of the season when the Bucs play four night games in Chicago September 24-27.

HOMESTAND: The Pirates are 1-2 on this seven-game homestand after the first three games against the Cubs...The homestand will also feature Pittsburgh’s first look at the first-place Atlanta Braves, who will be in town for three games starting Monday...The Bucs are 34-31 at PNC Park this season.

PREDICTION: Pirates 5, Cubs 3