The Pittsburgh Pirates (55-95) host the Chicago Cubs (65-85) at PNC Park on Friday. The Cubs took Thursday’s series opener 3-2, their eighth head-to-head victory in 16 games this season. Starter Hayden Wesneski went 6.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits, to get the win, and Mark Leiter Jr. threw 2.1 scoreless innings to earn his third save. Christopher Morel was 1 for 2 with a double and two RBIs in the win. Bryan Reynolds went 3 for 3 with two doubles and one RBI for the Pirates. Jason Delay added a double and one run.
ON THE MOUND
Javier Assad (1-2, 3.86 ERA) is set to start for Chicago. The southpaw allowed four runs over two innings in his last start, a 4-3 road defeat against the Rockies on Sunday. He was charged with the loss, scattering two hits while striking out three and walking four. Righty Bryse Wilson (3-9, 6.07 ERA) takes the mound for Pittsburgh. He has made three appearances against the Cubs this season, including two starts, giving up 10 runs (9 ER) over 14.1 innings (0-1, 5.65) with six strikeouts and seven walks. In his last start on Saturday, Wilson took the loss on the road against the Mets. He threw 5.1 innings and gave up four runs on four hits, striking out five and walking two in the 5-1 defeat.
AT THE PLATE
Over the last five games, Chicago has averaged only 3.0 runs a game, down from their season average of 4.0, while performing worse across the board (.185/.247/.306). Against right-handed pitchers like Wilson this season, the Cubs have a .699 OPS. Willson Contreras is the team’s biggest on-base threat against right-handers with a .358 OBP in 411 at-bats. Pittsburgh is averaging only 3.2 runs per game in the last five, down slightly from 3.6 for the season. The Bucs have a .652 OPS against left-handers in 2022, fifth lowest in MLB. With a .804 OPS over 132 at-bats, Diego Castillo has been their best hitter against left-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Chicago is on a three-game winning streak on the road, bringing their record to 34-41 in 2022. The Cubs have scored 4.0 runs per game away from home, while allowing 4.9 runs. Pittsburgh has lost three in a row at their home park. The Bucs are 28-44 at home this season, averaging 3.7 runs per game while surrendering 5.3. The NL Central rivals have split their last 10 meetings at PNC Park, though Pittsburgh has the scoring advantage with an average final margin of 5.1-4.8.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Cubs are third in the NL Central, 22 games behind the division-leading Cardinals. The Pirates are fifth in the NL Central, 32 games behind the Cardinals.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Pittsburgh Pirates (-110)
Want up to a $1K risk free bet for this pick?
Claim with 
today!
If you need more news, information and predictions, head over to our MLB hub page for all your baseball needs!
*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
