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PITTSBURGH PIRATES (56-83) AT CHICAGO CUBS
PITTSBURGH PIRATES (56-83) AT CHICAGO CUBS (55-83)
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Ecobika sports betting advice: take the Cubs on the money!
Probable Starting Pitchers: Pittsburgh - Zach Duke (8-13, 4.97) Chicago - Rich Hill (4-6, 5.23)
(Sports Network) - The Pittsburgh Pirates will try and defeat the Chicago Cubs for the sixth straight time this evening when the two NL Central cellar- dwellers continue their four-game set at Wrigley Field.
In the second game of this set on Tuesday Jose Bautista scored the go-ahead run on Ryan Dempster's wild pitch in the top of the ninth inning, lifting Pittsburgh to a 6-5 win.
Jason Bay hit a pair of two-run homers and Bautista had two hits, an RBI and scored three times in the win, which moved the Bucos a half game ahead of the Chicago Cubs, who now own the worst record in the NL.
Freddy Sanchez added a 2-for-4 effort, raising his NL-leading batting average to .347, as Pittsburgh won for the sixth time in eight outings overall.
Juan Pierre had three hits, drove in two runs, scored once and stole a pair of bases for the Cubs, who have dropped four straight. Derrek Lee also had three hits and drove in a run for Chicago, which has lost 13 of its last 15 outings.
With the game tied at 5-5 in the ninth, the Pirates took advantage of Dempster's control problems. With two outs and a runner on first, Dempster walked Sanchez and then walked Bay to load the bases for Xavier Nady. Dempster's first offering went in the dirt and past catcher Henry Blanco, allowing Bautista to score.
The wild pitch was the second of the inning for Dempster (1-8), who seemed poised to get out of the inning when Ryan Doumit was thrown out at third for the second out of the inning on Bautista's grounder earlier in the frame.
Pirates closer Salomon Torres pitched out of a two-on, two out jam for his third save of the season. Torres struck out the side, preserving the win for fellow reliever John Grabow (4-1)
Getting the call for Pittsburgh tonight will be left-hander Zach Duke, who has lost his last three starts and has just one win in his last eight outings. Duke's most recent setback came on Friday against St. Louis, as he allowed three runs and eight hits in seven innings to fall to 8-13 on the year to go along with a 4.97 ERA.
Duke has had success in his career against the Cubs. He is 2-1 in three starts against them this year and owns a 4-1 mark in his young career against them with a miniscule 1.66 ERA in five starts.
Chicago will counter with left-hander Rich Hill, who is 4-6 with a 5.23 ERA. Hill picked up a win in his last start on Friday against San Francisco, as he allowed a run on five hits in eight innings.
Hill beat Pittsburgh earlier in the year in his only other appearance against the team, surrendering a run on five hits in seven innings.
Pittsburgh is 8-5 against the Cubs this season after going 5-11 in the 2005 season series.
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