Chicago Cubs @ Pittsburgh Pirates – Series Preview (June 20-23): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
The Cubs (25-41) surprised everyone by winning their series against the red-hot Atlanta Braves this past weekend. A pair of good pitching performances served as the catalyst for the unexpected outcome and slowed the team’s descent into the cellar. Now Chicago heads out for a week-long road trip beginning with four in Pittsburgh.
The Pirates (26-39) have lost nine of their last 11 games as they hit a major skid reminiscent of the Cubs’ recent woes. It’s not all doom and gloom, however, as Chicago native Jack Suwinski hit three home runs on Sunday and has 11 for the season. Pittsburgh is also calling up their top prospect, shortstop Oneil Cruz, to play in this series.
The pitching continues to struggle for the Bucs and they have also given some young arms a chance to start in recent weeks. The bullpen was a strong suit but has started to go downhill during the recent losing streak.
The Cubs and Pirates are two very similar teams at the moment so this should make for a competitive series. Maybe Chicago can get really wild and win two series in a row. It would be a refreshing change from what we’ve seen lately.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Monday, June 20 at 6:05pm CT on Marquee Sports Network
- Tuesday, June 21 at 6:05pm CT on Marquee Sports Network
- Wednesday, June 22 at 6:05pm CT on Marquee Sports Network
- Thursday, June 23 at 11:35am CT on Marquee Sports Network
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 6/20 | Caleb Kilian | 25 | R | 8.00 | 0-1 | 4.47 | 0.86 |
| JT Brubaker | 28 | R | 4.50 | 0-7 | 4.39 | 2.32 | |
| 6/21 | Matt Swarmer | 28 | R | 5.23 | 1-2 | 8.75 | 2.38 |
| TBA | |||||||
| 6/22 | Keegan Thompson | 27 | R | 3.27 | 6-2 | 4.23 | 2.40 |
| Zach Thompson | 28 | R | 4.47 | 3-5 | 5.59 | 1.78 | |
| 6/23 | Justin Steele | 26 | L | 4.27 | 2-5 | 3.48 | 1.83 |
| José Quintana | 33 | L | 3.66 | 1-4 | 3.92 | 2.50 |
What to Watch For
- Willson Contreras had an eventful weekend taking on his little brother and he picked up five hits to boot.
- Thompson bounced back from his bad outing against the Yankees to put up six shutout innings against the Braves.
- Kilian was not very sharp in his second start, so perhaps a little weaker Pirates lineup is just what he needs for a good outing.