Gerrit Cole to start for Pirates in wild-card game against Cubs

Double-A call-up Jorge Lopez (1-1) went five innings and gave up three runs, all in the first after hitting the first batter and walking the next two.

“I just think it’s a step in the right direction”, Wagner said. Sure, Arrieta’s on far more of a dominant role than Cole is but, c’mon, Cole is just as capable of shutting down the Redbirds.

Cubs: RHP Dan Haren (10-9) finishes the regular season for the Cubs by making his 11th start since coming over in a deadline deal with Miami.

“He can know that when he’s on his game it works”. The Pirates were similar to the Cubs in that they were consistently at or near the bottom of the National League East and often traded away their talent for prospects.

Maldonado grounded into a double play two innings later that allowed reliever Fernando Rodney to escape a first-and-third jam with one out. Carlos Gonzalez had an RBI single and winning pitcher Kyle Kendrick (7-13) walked and scored as part of a five-run third inning when Colorado broke the game open.

“We recognize that we’re going through a transitional period, there’s a good chance there’s even greater change than in the past”, said Braun, who is signed through 2020.

But a few of the policies and decisions that Maddon made with the Rays have been applied to a harmonious Cubs team because Maddon lets veterans police the younger players.

It is now time for us to say something not said about the Chicago Cubs since 2008: “Let’s get the playoffs started!” 326 (30-for-92) and he finished the regular season with a. 287 batting average.

Arrieta finished the season 22-6 with a 1.77 ERA, including an ERA mark of 0.75 after the All-Star break, the best in baseball history.

And let’s remember the Pirates didn’t take advantage of the crazed atmosphere in last year’s wild-card game, losing 8-0 to Madison Bumgarner and the eventual champion Giants at PNC Park.

To say I’m nervous for this game would be an understatement because I think I might cry if the Cubs aren’t able to win on Wednesday. “No one would be conceding that game (if it were at Minute Maid Park), but having said that, I’d rather have him at home than at their place”. “But you’re not surprised at the level of how it begins with the players and how much they respect him”. It also put Rizzo over the 100-RBI plateau for the first time in his career.

Fans across the globe are pumping themselves up for Wednesday night’s game, including a professor at the University of Illinois who allowed Cubs fans to reschedule their midterm in order to attend the game themselves as reported by NBC Sports.