LEADING OFF: Aces up in NL wild card; Puig looking “rusty”

Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta took to a few boastful tweeting this week and the Borcks hope he can pull through tonight.

This is not just a big game for baseball, but it is a huge game for Case Western Reserve University, Glaser House Suite 640. If the Pirates are down early, Hurdle may also be tempted to lift Cole for a pinch hitter to try to produce runs in any way possible.

We touched on Bryant above, but defense could ultimately decide this game. Lester is in line to start Game 1 of the NLDS should the Cubs win the Wild Card game.

But there was no indication that Arrieta was about to become Bob Gibson, Sandy Koufax, Walter Johnson and Cy Young. The Cubs hitting history, a. 286 BA. No team had as good a road record (48-33) and no pitcher won as many games as Arrieta (22). Chicago pitchers set a National League record with 1,431 strikeouts, breaking the mark set by the 2003 Cubs (1,404). The Astros’ ace has been outstanding this season and the left-hander should match up well against the left-leaning (in the handedness rather than political sense) Yankee batting lineup. In their last seven games, shortstop Addison Russell has an OPS of.955, Chris Coghlan has a 1.278 OPS, and Anthony Rizzo has an. Cole is capable of racking up the K’s if his stuff is right, which bodes well against a team of young free-swingers.

The love that I have for the Cubbies is ridiculous. Paced by a young and powerful lineup, they’re trying to reach their first World Series in 70 years and end a championship drought that dates to 1908. I counter with 100+ years of losing! That’s the most likely scenario for a Pittsburgh win Wednesday night. Kris Bryant actually matched the hype. We are no longer the loveable losers. In a game that could finish 1-0, it’s going to be important for each team to execute with situational hitting. The Pirates are 53-28 in PNC Park, which is a 65% winning percentage.

Jake Arrieta is just having fun. Say, 13-15 games for a World Series run or merely in a Wild Card game?

Recommended: How much do you know about 100-year-old Wrigley Field? It gives the Pirates the energy and the will to win. The crowd makes a difference. That’s a regular season the Pirates should be proud of. That looks very dominant, and it is.

“When the national television cameras show the Pittsburgh skyline, Point State Park, the inclines, or one of Pedro’s home runs landing in the Allegheny River, it creates a tremendous level of positive publicity and exposure for our city – exposure that we could never afford otherwise”, he said. “Go out and play”.

“Hopefully, they’ll scream real loud so the pitcher for the Cubs can’t hear”, Beatrice Defide said.

I don’t care about the Billy Goat Curse or experience. No disrespect to any of the other NL playoff teams, but this easily could have been an NLCS matchup. “The team’s been wonderful with 97 wins”. There’s going to be a lot of blue.

Chicago Cubs fans have had a lot of disappointments, especially the last five seasons prior to 2015. Everywhere in the country Pirate fans stick together and share their love for their baseball team.

“Two [of] the best three teams in baseball are playing a do-or-die game”, Arrieta said.

Regardless, Wednesday’s game should live up to its hype. There will be a battle to be won in suite 640; two friends turned foes.

If you’re Pittsburgh, you have to be over there saying, “Hey, our starter is pretty good too”.