Pirates vs Cubs Pick: Chicago Sends Boyd to Face Bucs (Jun 14)

• Our Pirates vs Cubs pick assesses 1st place Chicago hosting last place Pittsburgh after splitting the first two games of the 4-game series at Wrigley Field
• Pittsburgh has played much better since changing managers, though they’re still out of contention
• Chicago is riding high, leading the division and looking toward the trade deadline for improvements
• Veteran Matthew Boyd starts for Chicago; Mike Burrows heads for the hill for the Bucs

Team	Moneyline
Pittsburgh Pirates	+193
Chicago Cubs	-215

Pirates Are 17-16 Under Don Kelly

When the Pirates fired manager Derek Shelton, the team sat at 12-26, mired in the basement of the NL Central, one of the worst teams in MLB, and seemingly going nowhere.

After 33 games under interim manager Don Kelly, they are still in last place, but they have played respectably, winning 17 and losing 16. One week ago, they swept three straight from the intrastate rival Phillies.

In the third game of their series with the Cubs, Mike Burrows takes the mound. The rookie has been shaky in three of his four starts this season, with the lone exception being 5.1 shutout innings against the Astros on June 4. In that game, he gave up 5 hits, struck out 6, and walked none.

Overall, he has a 5.00 ERA, having given up 18 hits and 10 earned runs in 18 innings. He’s vulnerable to the home run ball, allowing 4 in those 18 innings.

The only Cubs batter Burrows has faced is Jon Berti, who is 0 for 1 with a walk.

Pittsburgh’s offense is still a weak point, but they’ve been more productive since Kelly took over. Still, key players are not hitting well enough. Ke’Bryan Hayes has a .578 OPS and 2 home runs. Oneil Cruz is at .225, but has an .803 OPS and 13 homers. He also leads the NL in stolen bases with 25, only getting caught three times. Bryan Reynolds has a .676 OPS and 8 homers.

No manager could win with his linchpin bats being so inconsistent or outright unproductive.

Cubs Try to Regain May Swagger

After an 18-9 May, the Cubs are 6-6 in June. They remain in control of the NL Central. With their closest competitors, the Brewers, Cardinals, and Reds hovering around mediocrity, they should maintain their lead.

Matthew Boyd heads to the hill against the Pirates. The veteran lefty has a stellar 2.89 ERA in 74.2 innings. He’s allowed 74 hits and 24 earned runs, walking 18 and striking out 70. Impressively, he has not allowed more than 4 earned runs in any start this season. He can also be penciled in to at least get to the sixth inning.

Against Boyd, the Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen is 3 for 10 with a home run. Nick Gonzales is 2 for 3 with a double. Hates is 2 for 2 with 2 singles. Reynolds is 2 for 8 with a double. Cruz is 1 for 4 with a double and a walk. Isiah Kiner-Falefa is 2 for 9 with a double.

For the Cubs, Pete Crow-Armstrong continues his star turn with 18 homers, 57 RBIs, 22 stolen bases, and Gold Glove defense in center field. Seiya Suzuki has 17 homers and an .872 OPS.

Overall, the Cubs’ pitching has been surprisingly excellent from top to bottom.

Pirates vs Cubs Pick: Young Burrows is No Match for Chicago’s Firepower

The Pirates have been playing a solid brand of baseball under Kelly. That might or might not be an indictment of Shelton. Perhaps they were due for a good streak after a rancid start. But Burrows is still getting acclimated to the majors, the Cubs put the runs on the board, and Boyd always keeps his team in the game.

Pick Cubs Moneyline (-215)

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