Community Picks: Chicago Cubs 0% vs Pittsburgh Pirates 0%

In a season where the Cleveland Indians hope to get one more win than last year, the team has a chance to take its best stretch of baseball farther than a year ago. Carlos Carrasco was the latest Indians starter to shine with a complete game dismantling of the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night, and the 5-1 victory was Cleveland's 14th straight win. The streak is MLB's longest this season and the Indians have a chance to set a franchise record with 15 straight on Thursday in Chicago, which would top last season's run of 14 by the eventual American League champions who lost the World Series in Game 7 to the Chicago Cubs. Continue to Article

September 07, 2017 12:28:am EST

On a tough night for hitters in both lineups, Alex Avila didn't need to hit the ball hard to get the Cubs on the board. As it turned out, his broken-bat liner into the right-field corner was the only right-place, right-time shot of the game. Avila flared an RBI triple in the ninth inning, capping a duel between Jose Quintana and Gerrit Cole and lifting Chicago over the Pittsburgh Pirates 1-0 on Wednesday. Avila's hit against Daniel Hudson (2-6) left the bat at just 75 mph, but with Pittsburgh's outfielders shifting the other way, pinch-runner Leonys Martin had plenty of time to score from second base. "Not many," Avila answered when asked how many broken-bat triples he's had in his career. "I Continue to Article

September 06, 2017 10:38:pm EST

PITTSBURGH – The Jose Quintana trade became a way for the Cubs to protect themselves if – or probably when – Jake Arrieta signs a free-agent megadeal somewhere else. Shipping two top prospects to the White Sox became a play for 2018, 2019 and 2020 more than trying to save this season. But the pressure on Quintana – who has never thrown a playoff pitch before – will only increase now that Arrieta is potentially sidelined for at least two starts with a strained hamstring in the right leg that generates so much power in his crossfire delivery. Quintana responded during Wednesday’s 1-0 win at PNC Park, matching zeroes with Gerrit Cole for six innings on a night where the Pittsburgh Pirates ace had Continue to Article

September 06, 2017 12:44:pm EST

PITTSBURGH – Jake Arrieta definitely felt something more than just a cramp in his right leg, but the Cubs also didn’t get the worst-case news that could have ruined their season. Arrieta is looking at a seven-to-10-day window to recover after Tuesday’s MRI revealed a Grade 1 hamstring strain, meaning he could miss one or two starts at a time when the Cubs are running 3.5 games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central and the St. Louis Cardinals are still lurking above .500.  “You don’t want to miss a start,” Arrieta said after a 4-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. “But at the same time, this is something that certain times you can’t prepare for. “Things happen. Continue to Article

September 05, 2017 11:28:pm EST