Behind Braxton Ashcraft, Pirates chase series win vs. Cubs

The visiting Pittsburgh Pirates will search for a rare series victory over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday afternoon when the teams play the second contest of a three-game set.

Pittsburgh went 3-10 against the Cubs in 2025, dropping all four series against its National League Central rival. Through two weeks this season, though, this looks like a much different Pirates squad.

Despite being hitless through six innings, Pittsburgh earned a 2-0 win in the series opener on Friday thanks to Bryan Reynolds' two-run homer in the seventh. After the midseason hire of manager Don Kelly helped galvanize last year's team, the momentum has carried into 2026.

"We've talked about it a lot, just taking it one game and one series at a time," Kelly said Friday. "We're just looking to get after it tomorrow again. Any win you can get in Chicago against the Cubs at Wrigley is a special one."

Pittsburgh's Saturday starter, Braxton Ashcraft (1-1, 2.25 ERA), is coming off consecutive stellar starts to open his second season in the majors. After allowing two runs in six innings in a 2-0 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on March 30, the 26-year-old right-hander surrendered just one run with eight strikeouts across six frames in an 8-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday.

"As a starting pitcher, you're trying to go six, seven innings every time you go out there," Ashcraft said. "Being able to get the ball on the ground or get weak contact is the most important piece of that. Strikeouts come when they come, but if you're searching for strikeouts, that's when the pitch county can get up there a little bit."

Ashcraft faced the Cubs three times (two starts) in his rookie season, going 0-1 with a 3.27 ERA.

The Cubs were blanked for the second time this season on Friday, going 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position while leaving 11 men on base.

The top of the list of struggling Chicago batters is Dansby Swanson, who went 0-for-3 in the series opener to drop to .140 this season.

"We've got a couple guys that are not feeling it right now at the plate," Chicago manager Craig Counsell said. "That's the nature of offense today, and it gets a little magnified at the start of the season. Dansby is going to be streaky, and we're going to need production there. He'll get going."

Offseason addition Edward Cabrera (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will get another opportunity to impress his new club on Saturday.

Cabrera, who was traded by the Miami Marlins in January, has thrown 11 2/3 scoreless innings in two appearances with Chicago. Last time out, the right-hander allowed just one hit in 5 2/3 frames, earning a no-decision in his team's 1-0 victory over the Cleveland Guardians.

In five years with Miami, Cabrera rarely made a start in a stadium with as much energy as Wrigley Field. The Marlins had losing seasons in all but one year that Cabrera played for them. Now as a key piece of a club with high expectations, he is enjoying the new-found responsibility.

"The emotions definitely are different," Cabrera said of comparing Miami and Chicago. "Let's be real: There is a big difference between the fan bases and the number of fans we had in Miami. I try not to focus too much on that, but there definitely are different emotions."

In two career starts against Pittsburgh, Cabrera is 0-1 with a 2.35 ERA.

--Field Level Media