Cubs at Pirates 7/31/18 - MLB Picks & Predictions

By: Admin |

Last Updated: 08/06/2019 at 4:32 PM ET

NL Central Division rivals will clash on Tuesday night, when the Chicago Cubs travel to PNC Park to face the Pittsburgh Pirates. On Sunday night, Chicago avoided being swept in St. Louis by scoring a 5-2 victory. SP Kyle Hendricks allowed a two-run homer in the first inning and retired the last 17 batters that he faced. Chicago is 17 games above .500 overall and leads Milwaukee by 1.5 games for first place.

Chicago skipper Joe Maddon will turn to All-Star lefty Jon Lester (12-3 3.06 ERA) in the series opener. In his last start, Lester allowed four hits and one run in six innings of a 2-1 victory versus Arizona.
The Pittsburgh Pirates recently went on an 11-game winning streak and have climbed back into playoff contention. On Sunday, Pittsburgh managed just six hits during a 1-0 loss versus the New York Mets. The Pirates split the four-game series with the Mets and trail Arizona by four full games for the final NL Wild Card spot.

The Pirates will counter with talented right-hander Jameson Taillon (7-8 3.73 ERA) in this contest. Through 118 plus innings this season, Taillon has fanned 122 batters and owns a 1.22 WHIP.

Chicago 3B Kris Bryant is currently on the 10-day disabled list with a left shoulder injury. Through 105 games, Chicago ranks 2nd in batting average and 5th in runs scored. For the season, Pittsburgh ranks 10th in batting average and 13th in runs scored. Take Pittsburgh to get the job done behind a solid effort from Taillon. Final Score Prediction, Pittsburgh Pirates win 5-3.

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