Pirates Return Home to Face Division Rival Cubs
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The Pittsburgh Pirates (11-18) return home Tuesday after a West Coast road trip to take on their division rival, the Chicago Cubs (17-12). Pittsburgh still sits at the bottom of the National League Central standings, but showed some promise in their past six games.
Over their last two series, the Pirates have been the hottest-hitting team in baseball, posting a league-best .289 average (61-for-121) — a remarkable turnaround for a club that began the season with a majors-worst .192 average through its first 16 games.
But the numbers get even more impressive when manager Derek Shelton rolled out the same lineup in four straight games. With Oneil Cruz leading off, followed by Bryan Reynolds, Andrew McCutchen, Enmanuel Valdez, Joey Bart, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Adam Frazier, Tommy Pham, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, the Pirates collectively hit .319 (46-for-144) in those contests. That stretch included back-to-back wins over the Angels (Tuesday and Wednesday) as well as losses to the Dodgers (Saturday and Sunday).
The Cubs arrive in Pittsburgh after dropping two of three games at home against the Philadelphia Phillies. They boast a power-hitting lineup that has been one of the best overall hitting teams in the league so far this season. Offensively, they're being led by off-season acquisition Kyle Tucker (.289, 7 HR, 25 RBI) and emerging star Pete Crow-Armstrong (.286 AVG, 5 HR, 19 RBI, 12 SB).
Chicago's pitching staff has not been as strong. They currently hold a 4.24 ERA that ranks 20th in MLB. The Pirates will look to keep their bats hot and take advantage of a pitching staff that is still looking to find consistency from their bullpen, whose ERA of 4.99 ranks third worst in MLB.
Key Stats
- Pirates’ bats heating up: .289 over past six games, best in MLB.
- Cubs power: .446 SLG, .784 OPS both lead NL
- The Pirates and Cubs have met a total of 2,590 times. The Pirates lead the series 1,314-1,276.
Probable Pitchers & Matchups
Game 1: Tuesday, 6:40 PM ET at PNC Park
- PIT: LHP Andrew Heaney (2-1, 1.72 ERA, 31 K)
- CHC: LHP Shota Imanga (2-1, 3.18 ERA, 27 K)
- Key Battle: Heaney vs. Cubs OF Kyle Tucker (.083 AVG, 1 H, 1 HR in 12 career AB vs Heaney)
Game 2: Wednesday, 6:40 PM ET at PNC Park
- PIT: RHP Carmen Mlodzinski (1-3, 6.95 ERA, 18 K)
- CHC: LHP Matt Boyd (2-2, 2.54 ERA, 24 K)
- Key Battle: Boyd vs Pirates OF Andrew McCutchen (.375 BA, 1 HR, 2 RBI in 8 career AB against Boyd)
Game 3: Thursday, 12:35 PM ET at PNC Park
- PIT: RHP Paul Skenes (3-2, 2.39 ERA, 39 K)
- CHC: RHP Colin Rea (1-0, 0.96 ERA, 19 K)
- Key Battle: Rea vs Pirates OF Bryan Reynolds ( .583 AVG, 1 HR, 4 RBI in 12 career AB against Rea)
Players to Watch
- Oneil Cruz (PIT): .259 AVG, 8 HR, 12 SB in 2025; 3 HR in past seven games
- McCutchen (PIT): .276/.368/.815, 3 HR, 10 RBI in 2025; .345 AVG, 2 HR in past seven games
- Crow-Armstrong (CHC): .286 AVG, 5 HR, 19 RBI, 12 SB in 2025; .333 AVG, 2 HR in past seven games
- Imanga (CHC): 2-1, 3.18 ERA, 27 K; allowed 5 ER, 3 HR in last start vs Dodgers
Ethan Merrill is from Grand Rapids, MI, and brings with him a diverse background of experiences. After graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in journalism, he worked with the Arizona Diamondbacks for three seasons before settling in the Pittsburgh area in 2020. With a passion for sports and a growing connection to his community, Ethan brings a fresh perspective to covering the Pittsburgh Pirates.