Cubs vs Pirates Series Preview (September 2-5): TV and Game Info, Starting Pitcher, Insights
The Cubs (59-75) swept the Twins (58-75) in a short series in Minnesota, producing a rare bright spot in a dismal second half of the season. Chicago now returns home for a four-game set with the only team in their division holding a worse record.
The Pirates (48-85) have been tanking all year long and continue to pile up losses because they have not been good in any aspect of the game. They have a third-worst ERA and the lowest total runs scored in baseball. In short, this team was engineered to lose baseball games.
If one player has emerged for Pittsburgh it would be Bryan Reynolds, who has 21 home runs and an .894 OPS to lead the team. The starting pitching has struggled in 2021 and any quality bullpen pieces were moved at the trade deadline.
The Cubs’ recent wins have probably blocked them from moving too much higher on the draft chart, so the focus now should be firmly on which current players will be part the roster for 2022 and beyond. Performances like those from Frank Schwindel and Justin Steele in the Minnesota series are good ways to turn heads, so more of that over the long weekend series would be nice.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Thursday, September 2 at 7:05pm CT on Marquee Sports Network
- Friday, September 3 at 1:20pm CT on MLB Network (out of market only) and Marquee Sports Network
- Saturday, September 4 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee Sports Network
- Sunday, September 5 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee Sports Network
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 9/2 | Keegan Thompson | 26 | R | 3.09 | 3-3 | 4.92 | 1.73 |
| Mitch Keller | 25 | R | 6.75 | 4-10 | 4.87 | 1.79 | |
| 9/3 | Alec Mills | 29 | R | 4.32 | 6-6 | 3.94 | 2.60 |
| Steven Brault | 29 | L | 4.57 | 0-3 | 4.03 | 2.33 | |
| 9/4 | Kyle Hendricks | 31 | R | 4.43 | 14-6 | 4.83 | 3.34 |
| TBA | |||||||
| 9/5 | Zach Davies | 28 | R | 4.91 | 6-10 | 5.15 | 1.64 |
| Wil Crowe | 26 | R | 5.46 | 3-7 | 5.71 | 1.91 |
What to Watch For
- Schwindel had a pair of home runs against the Twins, including the game-winning shot on Wednesday night.
- Willson Contreras has been rehabbing in Iowa and may return from his knee injury this weekend.
- Hendricks has allowed 22 runs in his last four starts, 17 of which came in two games against the Brewers and White Sox.