Pirates at Cubs
The Pittsburgh Pirates get one more shot at the woeful Chicago Cubs as they try to chase down a National League Central title. The Pirates have claimed the first two contests in the three-game series but haven't gained any ground on St. Louis, which leads the division by two games with four to play. Pittsburgh has clinched a postseason berth and is a game clear of Cincinnati in the race for home-field advantage in the wild-card game, with three games against the Reds looming this weekend.
The Pirates vie for their 13th win of the season series by sending left-hander Francisco Liriano to the mound. Liriano has gone 3-0 with a 1.24 ERA against Chicago in 2013 and held Cubs stars Starlin Castro (1-for-11), Darwin Barney (0-for-10) and Anthony Rizzo (0-for-11) in check. It's the final home game of the season for the Cubs, who are 30-50 at Wrigley Field - their worst home record for a full season since the start of the 162-game campaign.
TV: 2:20 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh), WGN (Chicago)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates LH Francisco Liriano (16-7, 2.88 ERA) vs. Cubs RH Jake Arrieta (4-4, 5.06)
Liriano's resurgent season continued with his third straight quality start in his last outing, holding Cincinnati to two runs on three hits over eight innings in a no-decision. The 29-year-old has allowed two or fewer runs in nine of his last 12 starts. Liriano is 3-1 with a 2.08 ERA in five starts against the Cubs and has been the winning pitcher in three of four meetings this year.
Arrieta continues to make a claim for a spot in the rotation in 2014 after limiting Milwaukee to one run on three hits over seven innings in a victory last time out. The 27-year-old has gone 3-2 with a 3.94 ERA since the Cubs acquired him from Baltimore. Arrieta is 2-0 with a 3.71 ERA in three starts against Pittsburgh.
WALK-OFFS
1. Pittsburgh has gone deep in seven straight games, belting 11 home runs in that span.
2. The Cubs have hit .182 and scored a total of 40 runs in 18 games against the Pirates this season.
3. The Pirates have allowed two or fewer runs 69 times this season, the most in the majors.