Chicago Cubs to face Pittsburgh Pirates in Saturday matchup
Matchup Overview
The Chicago Cubs are set to play the Pittsburgh Pirates today, Saturday, July 25, at PNC Park. The game is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET. The Cubs enter the game with a 58-45 record, placing them second in the NL Central, while the Pirates are 53-51 and third in the division.
The pitching matchup features Shōta Imanaga (6-8, 3.91 ERA) for the Cubs against Paul Skenes (9-8, 3.43 ERA) for the Pirates. Imanaga has been in good form recently, delivering seven shutout innings in his last outing against the Twins. Over his last seven starts, he holds a 2.31 ERA and a 1.179 WHIP, allowing only five home runs across 39 innings.
Pitching Analysis
Imanaga has historically performed well against the Pirates, with a 0.28 ERA over five starts and 32 innings, allowing only one earned run, seven walks, and striking out 32. This includes a six no-hit inning performance against them on April 10 at Wrigley Field.
Conversely, Skenes has a career 2.77 ERA with 53 strikeouts over 39 innings against the Cubs. However, his performance this season shows a 4.55 ERA and a 1.347 WHIP over his last 12 starts, covering 65.1 innings. While he continues to record strikeouts, with 82 in those 12 starts, opposing teams have found ways to score against him.
One instance was on May 28 at PNC Park, where the Cubs scored three runs (one earned) off Skenes in 5.1 innings, elevating his pitch count to 103. His four-seamer velocity is also noted to be slightly down this year, at 96.9 compared to 98.2 last year.
The Cubs are considered +117 moneyline underdogs, while the Pirates are favored at -122. The over/under for the game is set at 7.5 runs. Temperatures are expected to be 80F at first pitch, with minimal winds blowing out to center field, which could slightly favor batters.
Team Trends and Injuries
The Cubs have a strong road record against the Pirates, winning 12 of their last 15 away games in Pittsburgh. Last night’s game marked the Cubs’ first in 13 against an opponent with a winning record. They had a 7-5 record in their previous 12 games against teams at .500 or below.
Both bullpens show some shakiness, with the Pirates’ relief corps holding the 10th-highest ERA in MLB at 4.40, slightly higher than the Cubs’ 4.04. The Pirates’ lineup is also missing three everyday players and ranks 19th in runs scored and 20th in slugging percentage since the All-Star break.
Several players are on the injured list for both teams. For the Pirates, this includes Endy Rodriguez (10 Day IL – Lower body), Spencer Horwitz (10 Day IL – Hamstring), Evan Sisk (15 Day IL – Elbow), Chris Devenski (60 Day IL – Illness), Oneil Cruz (60 Day IL – Hand), Konnor Griffin (60 Day IL – Finger), and Rafael Flores (7 Day IL – Head).
The Cubs’ injured list includes Matt Shaw (10 Day IL – Hand), Daniel Palencia (15 Day IL – Elbow), Hoby Milner (15 Day IL – Appendicitis), Phil Maton (15 Day IL – Knee), Ben Brown (15 Day IL – Neck), Ethan Roberts (15 Day IL – Forearm), Edward Cabrera (15 Day IL – Hamstring), Riley Martin (60 Day IL – Elbow), Porter Hodge (60 Day IL – Elbow), Justin Steele (60 Day IL – Elbow), Shelby Miller (60 Day IL – Elbow), Hunter Harvey (60 Day IL – Tricep), and Cade Horton (60 Day IL – Forearm), and Christopher Austin (60 Day IL – Knee).
The game will be broadcast on Marquee Sports Network and SportsNet PT.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
