Let’s try that again.
Whom:
Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
Where:
Wrigley Field
When:
1:20 PM Chicago Time
Weather:
Temperatures should be in the 50’s and 60’s, with clear skies and the wind blowing out to right center at 10-20 mph.
The Starting Pitchers:
Jake Arrieta vs. Tyler Anderson
The Opponent:
In the lineup, Ke’Bryan Hayes is again the biggest threat. On the mount, Tyler Anderson is a former Rockie and Giant whose FIP, in seasons of ten or more starts, has ranged from 3.59-4.67, which is to say he’s been consistently solid over his career.
The Numbers:
The Cubs are a -165 favorite, implying roughly a 60% chance to win. The total’s at 11½. Look out for long balls.
Cubs News:
Nothing too big. 27-year-old minor leaguer Duncan Robinson, a Dartmouth product (yes, there are multiple Duncan Robinsons in the sporting world with New Hampshire ties), retired, having spent 2019 and 2020 going through the Tommy John process and sitting out due to the pandemic. Robinson was never a huge prospect, but he produced strong results, so this isn’t so much a new loss for the Cubs as the finalization of an old one. Best of luck to Robinson as he returns to law school.
Cubs Thoughts:
Few games are must-win, and this is no different, but some things to want besides just a win (which is badly wanted, however non-must-win the situation is) are:
- Hits. Something like last year’s league median eight hits a game, or at least contact worthy of those hits (yes, home runs count—home runs always count).
- A serviceable start from Arrieta. We love the guy, and he’s had some bad luck the last two years (ERA’s over 5.00, FIP’s under 5.00), but he’s on the wrong end of the aging curve, so we’re just looking for serviceability at this point.
- Aggression. Anthony Rizzo and Willson Contreras each showed it on the basepaths on Thursday. David Bote did not show it on a groundball into shallow right. You can’t choose to get hits or turn in a serviceable outing on the mound. But you can choose to be aggressive.
The Cubs are favored, as frustrated as Thursday may have made us all.
