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Series preview: Can Pirates get revenge on Cubs?

Pirates face the Cubs at PNC this week.

By Jeremy_Brener
Pittsburgh Pirates v Chicago Cubs Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images

Chicago Cubs (67-89) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (58-98), September 28-30, 2021

Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA

TV: AT&T Sports Pittsburgh

Radio: KDKA 100.1 FM & 1020 AM

Cubs SB Nation Site: Bleed Cubbie Blue

The Pirates face the Cubs for the final time in 2021.

Here’s a look at what we can expect this week:

Projected Starters

Tuesday, 6:35 p.m. EST

Alec Mills (6-7, 4.83 ERA) vs. Mitch Keller (5-11, 5.96 ERA)

Wednesday, 6:35 p.m. EST

Kyle Hendricks (14-7, 4.81 ERA) vs. TBD

Thursday, 6:35 p.m. EST

Justin Steele (3-4, 4.86 ERA) vs. TBD

Projected Lineups

Cubs

  1. Rafael Ortega (CF)
  2. Frank Schwindel (1B)
  3. Ian Happ (RF)
  4. Patrick Wisdom (LF)
  5. Willson Contreras (C)
  6. Matt Duffy (3B)
  7. Sergio Alcantara (SS)
  8. David Bote (2B)
  9. Starting Pitcher

Pirates

  1. Ke’Bryan Hayes (3B)
  2. Yoshi Tsutsugo (RF)
  3. Bryan Reynolds (CF)
  4. Colin Moran (1B)
  5. Cole Tucker (2B)
  6. Michael Perez (C)
  7. Anthony Alford (LF)
  8. Kevin Newman (SS)
  9. Starting Pitcher

Here’s a look at what Al Yellon of Bleed Cubbie Blue had to say about the Cubs heading into this week’s series:

Since the Cubs sold off all their stars at the trading deadline, they’ve been several different ballclubs.

They went 4-17 right after the selloff, including a 12-game losing streak, and some said they might not win a total of 10 games from selloff to season’s end.

But after that they had a nice little 10-3 run, including a seven-game winning streak (that included the four-game sweep of the Pirates at Wrigley) that brought dreams of getting back to .500.

Those dreams have been dashed. Since that run the Cubs are 3-14, the worst record in baseball. Yes, worse than the awful Orioles and Diamondbacks and, I note, the Pirates are 9-8 over the same span.

The Cubs do have some fun players worth watching, including Frank “The Tank” Schwindel and Patrick Wisdom. The latter broke Kris Bryant’s Cubs rookie record for home runs in a season when he hit his 27th.

Watch them now, because many of these “sub Cubs” might not be back next year.

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