The difference in the current trends for the visiting Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates could not be clearer going into their series finale on Wednesday
Chicago shut out the Pirates in the first two games of the series, 8-0 on Monday and 4-0 on Tuesday, to move to 9-2 in the past 11 games
Now the Cubs have a shot at a second series sweep of the Pirates this season
Chicago is 5-0 against Pittsburgh, including a sweep of three home games last week. The Cubs have scored 40 runs and pounded out 56 hits in the five wins
The Pirates, on the other hand, have lost eight straight, their longest skid of the season. They carry a 24-inning scoreless drought into Wednesday and have been outscored 55-17 during their losing streak
Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton described his team's offensive predicament as "extremely" frustrating.
"We've got to find a way to score runs," he said. "We've got to figure out a way to pull ourselves out of this."
Pittsburgh got quality starts from Osvaldo Bido and Johan Oviedo in the first two games of the series, to no avail.
Two of the Pirates' best players were out of the lineup Tuesday, and their status for Wednesday was unclear. Left fielder Bryan Reynolds is dealing with back tightness, and designated hitter Andrew McCutchen has a sore right elbow, Shelton said
Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson, who was hit by a pitch in the fourth inning on Tuesday but remained in the game, has a swollen right wrist and will get X-rays, manager David Ross said
In the series finale, Chicago right-hander Kyle Hendricks (2-2, 2.86 ERA) is slated to start opposite Pittsburgh left-hander Rich Hill (6-6, 4.31).
Hendricks will be looking for his third straight win. He has given up a total of two runs in 13 innings over his past two outings.
Both of those runs came Friday against the Baltimore Orioles, when he gave up five hits in five innings.
Hendricks is in the final year of his contract with Chicago (though the club does have an option for next season), and he is enjoying the ride. He has rounded into form since starting the season on the IL because of a capsular tear in his right shoulder.
"This team is on the uptick and so close to where it needs to be, and I want to be part of that for as long as I can," he told the Chicago Sun-Times.
"I'm only 33. Even though it has been nine, 10 years already, it doesn't feel that way. When this is over, it's over, but I don't think I'm there yet."
Hendricks is 8-11 with a 3.79 ERA in 26 career starts against the Pirates
Hill was cruising with wins in back-to-back starts earlier this month, allowing three runs in 13 2/3 innings. He got tripped up in his latest outing, however, giving up four runs (three earned) and walking six in five innings of a loss at Milwaukee on Friday.
The Brewers scored three times in the first against Hill in their 5-4 win.
"As sharp as we've seen Rich throughout the year, he just was not sharp early on and the walks came back to bite us," Shelton said.
Hill is 1-1 with a 2.49 ERA in five career appearances, four of them starts, against the Cubs
--Field Level Media