Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates Prediction & Picks - MLB

Prediction published on 9/13/26, 10:57 AM  by Bill Christy | Modified on 9/16/26 at 7:56 AM in MLB Picks

The Chicago Cubs are looking to sweep the Pittsburgh Pirates this afternoon at Wrigley. They have taken the 1st two games by a total of 11 runs, but the games were very different.

In game one, the Pirates could not stop the Cubs from hitting any of their pitching. They used 3 different pitchers, and each one allowed at least 3 runs during their work. All Cubs hitters that started the game contributed with either a hit or a run scored. Michael Busch and Alex Bregman were the driving force in the game. They combined to go 5-for-8 with 2 doubles, a home run, and 5 total RBIs. They were able to dispatch the Pirates with a 12-2 victory.

Game two was much tighter. Paul Skenes pitched 7 strong innings for the Pirates. He exited after the 7th inning with a 3-2 lead. However, Gregory Soto came in and allowed 2 runs in the bottom of the 8th. He walked in the tying run and then hit Nico Hoerner to give the Cubs the lead that they were able to hold onto for the 4-3 win.

Bubba Chandler and Matthew Boyd are the slated starters for this last game of the series. Both starters carry an ERA over 4.00 on the season. They are going to have a hard time against these strong hitting lineups this afternoon