Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs Prediction: Can Justin Steele, Cubs Start Strong in Pittsburgh?
The Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates meet tonight. Can Justin Steele and the Cubs start strong in Pittsburgh? Ben Rajavuori answers.
Ben Rajavuori - August 24, 2023, 4:02 PM EDT
5 minPittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs Prediction: Can Justin Steele, Cubs Start Strong in Pittsburgh?
The Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates meet for their third head-to-head series of the season tonight, with the Cubs leading the season series 6-0. The Cubs have swept the first two series, which were both back in June, and have been the hotter of the two teams. With the Cubs coming into Pittsburgh tonight, can they continue their dominance and make it 7-0 versus the Pirates this season?
Pirates vs. Cubs Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: August 24, 2023
- Time: 7:05 pm ET
- Where to Watch: MLB.TV
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs Prediction
The Cubs are on absolute fire right now. The Braves have been statistically one of the best overall hitting teams in history in 2023, but apart from the Braves, the Cubs have been the hottest. Since the all-star break, the Cubs have been hitting .272 with a .820 team OPS. These are both second in the MLB behind the Atlanta Braves. After a very, very slow start to the season, the Cubs are holding onto a playoff spot. The Cubs went 13-13 in April and 10-18 in May to start the season 23-31, but they have not gone negative in any month since. They are now 13-7 in August, and they are 21-9 in their last 30 games, which is second in the MLB behind the Seattle Mariners. Their run the last month or so has put them in second place in the NL Central, just 3.5 games behind the Brewers, and they hold the second wild card spot as of today. So yeah, the Cubs are pretty hot right now, and they have their ace on the mound tonight.
Justin Steele has been an absolute monster this season, and he leads the Cubs with a 2.8 ERA and is second overall in the MLB in ERA behind Blake Snell, who has a 2.76 ERA. The Cubs have been at their best behind Steele, as they are 10-1 in the last 11 games Steele has started on the mound. Steele has been having a "slower" month in August, sporting a 4.43 ERA, and the Cubs are still 4-0 this month, with three of those wins coming by double digits. Tonight should be the same, as Steele is facing a Pirates team that has been struggling against lefty pitchers.
The Pirates have been trending in the opposite direction as the Cubs. After a 19-9 start to the season in April, the Pirates have yet to go positive in any month since then, and they are looking like a sure shot to miss the playoffs after leading the NL Central early on. They have been one of the worst offenses since the all-star break, and they have been even worse against lefties. The Pirates rank 29th in average with a .201 batting average against lefties in the last 30 days, with only the Guardians coming in lower. They now face one of the best lefties in the league this season. Steele missed some time in June with an injury when the Cubs played both series against the Pirates as well, so they haven't even seen him this year.
The Pirates starting pitcher has been a question mark today, as Andre Jackson was listed to start, but now most books say "TBD." My guess is that an opener starts the first inning before Jackson comes out. I haven't seen any injury news for Jackson, and he is next in the rotation, so that is my best guess. In that case, the Cubs have dinged him up twice this season, and the lineup is so hot that I honestly don't care who is pitching for the Pirates because I know it's not Mitch Keller. This is a Cub's first five-win all day. Take "action" instead of listed pitchers if Jackson is listed on your book just in case.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs Pick
2 Unit Pick: Cubs First Five -.5 -118 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds for this pick
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