The Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates will face off in MLB action today in Game 2 of the series. What is a reasonable final score prediction for today?
Pittsburgh took care of business in Game 1 of the series yesterday by a final score of 3-2, but the Cubs have to be upset that they didn't come back in the bottom of the ninth. They scored one run on a one-out triple from Starlin Castro. Jorge Soler and Javier Baez then promptly went down swinging and the game was over.
Despite the loss, the Cubs clinched a playoff spot last night when the San Francisco Giants fell to the Oakland Athletics. Chicago will play the Pittsburgh Pirates on the road in a one-game Wild Card playoff game if things hold as is. That being said, the Cubs still haven't given up hope of coming back and catching the Pirates for the top Wild Card spot and hosting the one game playoff at Wrigley Field.
Looking ahead to today's game, the Cubs have to come away with a win if they want to make the journey back against the Pirates. At this point in time heading into this afternoon's game, the Cubs are 4.5 games back in the standings.
Today's pitching matchup features Jason Hammel for the Cubs and Francisco Liriano. Both of those pitchers have had consistency at times throughout the year, which means that they will need their offenses to step up in a big way and give them an early cushion. Hammel is the clear No. 3 starter for the Cubs, while Liriano is the Pirates' No. 3 as well.
Chicago's offense definitely has the potential to put a lot of scoring on the board this afternoon. Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and the pleasantly surprising Starlin Castro are capable of taking off at any moment. Pittsburgh has a very talented offense as well with Andrew McCutchen leading the way.
After learning that they were heading to the postseason yesterday evening, expect to see the Cubs come out with excitement and confidence today. Chicago is the pick for this afternoon, but the Pirates are more than capable of taking two games in a row to start the season.
Chicago vs. Pittsburgh Final Score Prediction: Cubs 5, Pirates 4
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