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The Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates square off on Monday with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. ET. The game takes place at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription. Caleb Kilian (0-1, 8.00) will take the mound for Chicago while JT Brubaker (0-7, 4.50 ERA) will get the start for Pittsburgh.
The Cubs (25-41) were shut out 6-0 yesterday but took two of three games against the Atlanta Braves over the weekend. Kilian will make his third MLB start and allowed 8 runs over 9 innings of work through is first two outings. The Cubs rank 13th in on-base percentage (.318), and Willson Contreras has a seven-game hitting streak with a .395 OBP.
The Pirates (26-39) avoided getting swept by the San Francisco Giants with a 4-3 victory yesterday. Brubaker is coming off a start where he gave up 3 runs (2 earned) on 7 hits and 2 walks over 5.1 innings of work in a loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. The Pirates rank 28th in on-base percentage (.289), batting average (.219) and runs per game (3.4). Ke’Bryan Hayes leads the team with 22 RBIs and batting average (.270).
Cubs vs. Pirates
Pitchers: Caleb Kilian vs. JT Brubaker
First pitch: 7:05 p.m. ET
Cubs local broadcast: Marquee Sports Network
Pirates local broadcast: AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)
Odds, picks & predictions
Run Line: Chicago -1.5
Run total: 8
Moneyline odds: Chicago -110, Pittsburgh -110
Moneyline pick: Cubs -110
Neither pitcher has been very good this season, though the sample size is limited with Kilian. We’ve seen enough of Brubaker in 2022 that you know what you’re getting, and let’s side with the better offense. The Cubs are nowhere close to being elite at the plate, but the Pirates have been one of the worst offenses in baseball.
Player prop pick: Caleb Kilian Over 3.5 strikeouts (-145)
Kilian failed to record a strikeout in his last start, which went 4 innings against the San Diego Padres, and he struck out 6 hitters in his debut against the St. Louis Cardinals over 5 innings. As a minor league pitcher in 2021, Kilian had a 10 K/9 over 19 stats, and he should get to 4 strikeouts against a Pirates offense that strikes out 9 times per game, the fifth-most in baseball.
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