A scheduled off-day for both teams has turned into a Monday afternoon contest due to a rainout on Wednesday.
Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates
Chicago is playing its ninth game (2-6) in a stretch of 12-straight against NL Central opponents that lasts through June 10. The Cubs are currently 1-4 on its current road trip, after dropping Sunday’s contest, 6-3, in Houston to the Astros. The defeat dropped the Cubs to a 3-23 mark when scoring three or fewer runs this season, while they are 22-7 when scoring four or more. Chicago is slated to face a southpaw on Monday, which has been a recipe of success in the last four opportunities. The team is actually hitting .267 overall against lefties this season, a mark that is 12 points higher than its overall season average (.255).
Cubs SP Carlos Silva will take the mound for this 11th start as a member of the rotation, going 7-0 with a 3.12 ERA. He is looking to become the first Cubs’ starter to begin a season 8-0 since 1967. The veteran right-hander has yet to allow a run against the Pirates in 9.2 innings of work, spanning five previous relief outings. Silva has not faced Pittsburgh since 2003, but has tossed four shutout frames in his career at PNC Park. He is a perfect 3-0 with a 3.63 ERA in four starts away from Wrigley Field, with the team posting a 3-1 record. He can only hope to carry momentum over from his last start, hurling seven shutout innings and fanning a season-high 11 strikeouts in a 5-0 home victory over the Cardinals.
Pittsburgh fell 6-5 in extra-innings on Sunday in a series-finale against the San Francisco Giants. Sunday’s SP Ross Ohlendorf supplied the team with another strong outing by the starting staff, as the unit has posted a 3.05 ERA over the last seven games. The Pirates have still won three of their last five games, after dropping five straight. The bullpen has been strong throughout the season, striking out 184 batters, which ranks second in the majors behind the Padres (194). Surprisingly enough, Pittsburgh has offered value to bettors when placed as an underdog of +110 to +150, going 7-3 in the past 10 situations.
Pirates SP Dana Eveland will be making his first start for the franchise on Monday afternoon, being acquired in a trade from Toronto. The left-hander went 3-4 with a 6.45 ERA in nine starts with the Blue Jays this season before being designated for assignment on May 24. Eveland has gone 14-19 with a 5.63 ERA in 53 career starts in the major leagues. He has limited numbers against the Chicago Cubs, having not recorded a decision and 6.75 ERA in three relief appearances, all coming at Miller Park, while pitching for Milwaukee in 2005 and 2006. He has made just a single daytime start this year, picking up a loss while allowing four runs and eight hits in 6.2 innings of work.
Plenty of trends point in the direction of playing the under in this contest, considering it has cashed in 23 of the last 27 games that has found the Cubs being placed as a road favorite of -110 to -150. The Under is also 6-1 in the Pirates last seven games as a home underdog.
