Chicago Cubs (30-26) at Pittsburgh Pirates (29-27) | PNC Park | 6:40 PM ET / 5:40 PM CT
The Chicago Cubs (30–26 after CRUSHING the Pirates 10–4 yesterday!) face the Pittsburgh Pirates (29–27) for the SERIES FINALE at PNC Park on Thursday night! SERIES IS TIED 2-2! Ian Happ hit a 3-run homer in the 7th yesterday to ignite the explosion and END OUR LOSING STREAK! This is the rubber match—whoever wins takes the series!
This is Game 4 of four—can we WIN THE SERIES in Pittsburgh?
Cubs Season: 30-26, TIED 2-2!
Record: 30-26 (Four Games Over .500, Ended Losing Streak, Series Tied 2-2!)
We’re 30–26 and FOUR GAMES OVER .500 after EXPLOSIVELY bouncing back with a 10–4 win yesterday! Ian Happ delivered the HUGE 3-run homer in the 7th to break open a tight game! We finally got the offensive explosion we needed after being shut down in the first two games! SERIES IS TIED 2-2 heading into the Game 4 finale!
Series Results:
- Game 1 (Tue, May 25): Lost 2-1
- Game 2 (Wed, May 26): Lost 12-1 (CRUSHED!)
- Game 3 (Wed, May 27): Won 10-4 (EXPLODED offensively!)
- Series TIED 2-2 (rubber match today!)
Yesterday’s Comeback Win (10–4):
- Ian Happ: 3-run homer in 7th (HUGE moment!)
- Tied it up 4-4 before the explosion
- Scored 6 runs in the late innings
- Finally got the big offensive game needed
Key Stats:
- 61 home runs (11th in MLB!)
- 30-26 record (four games over .500!)
- Ian Happ: Led the explosion yesterday
- Nico Hoerner, Michael Busch: Contributing
We FINALLY got the offensive outburst we desperately needed! Now WIN THE SERIES today!
Pittsburgh Pirates: 29-27, TIED 2-2!
Record: 29-27 (Two Games Over .500, Series Tied 2-2)
The Pirates are 29–27 after dominating us the first two games but getting BLOWN OUT 10–4 yesterday! Paul Skenes is looming (their closer) for today’s finale. They need to bounce back offensively after we exploded for 10 runs!
Series Results:
- Game 1: Won 2-1 (Henry Davis solo HR in 7th)
- Game 2: Won 12-1 (DOMINATED us!)
- Game 3: Lost 10-4 (Our offense exploded!)
- Series TIED 2-2 (rubber match today!)
Pirates Key Players:
- Oneil Cruz: 58 hits, 35 RBIs, 38 runs, 17 SB (weapon!)
- Nick Gonzales: .301 AVG, 53 hits, 21 RBIs
- Brandon Lowe: 13 home runs
- Endy Rodríguez: .316 AVG
What We’re Facing:
- Pirates are 29-27 (tied with us!)
- Series TIED 2-2 (rubber match!)
- They dominated Game 2 but we rebounded Game 3
- Paul Skenes looming for today
The Pirates are BACK in the series after we evened it yesterday!
Key Matchups at PNC Park
Cubs Offense (10 runs yesterday!) vs Pirates Pitching
We EXPLODED for 10 yesterday! Keep the momentum going and score runs today!
Ian Happ vs Pirates
His 3-run homer was the game-changer yesterday! Stay hot in the series finale!
Pirates Power (Oneil Cruz, Brandon Lowe!) vs Cubs Pitching
Cruz has 58 hits and 35 RBIs. Lowe has 13 HRs. They can score FAST!
WIN THE RUBBER MATCH
Series TIED 2-2. Win today and WIN THE SERIES 3-1 on the road!
What the Cubs Need at PNC Park
Offensive Momentum from Yesterday
We had a HUGE explosion (10 runs!). Keep that momentum going today!
Ian Happ Stays Hot
3-run homer yesterday was CLUTCH. Stay hot and keep driving in runs!
Pitching Shuts Down Pirates
Pirates have power (Cruz, Lowe!). Keep them down and limit damage!
WIN THE RUBBER MATCH AND THE SERIES
TIED 2-2. Win today and WIN THE SERIES 3-1 on the road at PNC Park!
Cubs Fan Prediction: We Win the Series!
Final Score: Cubs 5, Pirates 3
Our pitching battles—7 innings, 3 runs. Pirates score just enough but not enough to overcome us!
Ian Happ stays hot and drives in a run! Our offense scores 5 and WINS THE SERIES!
The Pirates score 3 but we TAKE THE SERIES 3-1 in Pittsburgh!
Two-run win. We’re 31–26. FIVE GAMES OVER .500! We WIN THE SERIES 3-1!
Why Game 4 Matters
We’re 30–26 after EXPLODING for 10 runs yesterday (ended our losing streak!)! Ian Happ’s 3-run homer was HUGE! Series is TIED 2-2 with both teams at 29+ wins! The Pirates dominate us in Games 1-2 but we bounced back Game 3! This is the SERIES FINALE!
Win today and we’re 31–26. FIVE GAMES OVER .500! WIN THE SERIES 3-1 on the road!
Can we maintain momentum? Will Ian Happ stay hot? Can we WIN THE SERIES?
We went 78–84 last year. Going 31–26 and winning the series would show REAL PROGRESS!
Go Cubs Go. WIN THE SERIES in Pittsburgh on Dollar Dog night!