Chicago Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates preview, Sunday 9/13, 1:20 CT
The Cubs go for the series sweep.
This series marks the 15th time the Cubs have won the first two games of a series against the Pirates. In their home games against the Pirates, they've achieved this in the past seven series. Since September 19, 2023, they've been 9-11 in those matchups.
When the Cubs score first in a game, they've won 51 out of 73 times, with a 26-8 record at Wrigley Field. Similarly, teams scoring at least four runs win 72 of 95 games, while those with seven hits or more win 70 of 113 games. Hitting at least one home run and getting three walks or more also correlates to winning 70-38 and 72-41 respectively.
On September 13, 1998, Sammy Sosa hit his 62nd homer to tie the game at 10-10 in the bottom of the 10th inning. Gary Gaetti then drove in the winning run with a pinch-hit single. This was 28 years ago today.
For the upcoming game, Cubs starter Matthew Boyd, who had a rough August, is set to face Pirates ace Bubba Chandler. Boyd had mixed results in September, including a 4.38 ERA and 1.216 WHIP. However, his performance in the second half was much better, with a 3.21 ERA and 1.112 WHIP. Chandler, on the other hand, improved after the All-Star break, posting a 3.21 ERA and 1.112 WHIP in his nine starts since then.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
