Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates Prediction, 8/28/2024 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates

Date: Wednesday, August 28, 2024

Location: PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA

TV: Marquee

The Chicago Cubs (66-66) are headed to PNC Park on Wednesday where they will go up against the Pittsburgh Pirates (62-69). The starting pitchers will be Kyle Hendricks and Paul Skenes.

As a unit, the Chicago Cubs are putting up 4.4 runs per game, which has them sitting at 15th in baseball. They are sitting with 577 runs scored while holding a team on-base percentage of .313. The Cubs have earned 214 doubles as a unit and have knocked 141 baseballs out of the park. They have 545 runs batted in and 1,051 base knocks for the year, and their team batting average sits at .238. Chicago has a slugging rate of .393 and have been called out on strikes 1,122 times, while being walked on 438 occasions.

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The Cubs have compiled a team earned run average of 3.75 on the season (7th in the league), and the staff has rung up 1,119 hitters. Cubs pitchers have surrendered 143 home runs and 549 runs in total (10th in baseball). They have walked 384 hitters and their FIP sits at 3.95 as a unit over the course of the season. Chicago has conceded 1,054 hits (8.1 per 9 innings) as well as 486 earned runs. They have earned a K/BB ratio of 2.91 and their pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.23.

Cubs relief pitchers have stepped onto the hill with players on base 117 times in addition to having 138 appearances in high leverage situations. The relief pitchers have notched 62 holds so far this season (21st in the league). The Cubs relievers have earned a save rate of 56.9% and has entered the game in 114 save situations. They have recorded 29 saves so far this season and have missed out on 22 of their 51 save opportunities. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 173 runners so far this year and 30.1% of them ended up scoring. The Cubs have dispatched 398 relief pitchers to the hill for the season.

The Cubs have converted 70.4% of balls in play into outs out of their 10,485 innings, which has them sitting at 12th in professional baseball. The Chicago Cubs have notched a total of 3,495 putouts for the season, as well as 1,063 assists and 64 errors. Their fielding percentage is holding at .986 which is 9th in MLB, and they have turned 67 double plays.

Hendricks has taken the ball for 1,550 innings and has earned 1,239 K's in his pro baseball career. Hendricks (96-79 record in his career) holds a FIP of 3.61 and he has gone up against 6,388 opposing batters during his time in the majors. His ERA is 3.67 (632 earned runs allowed) and his career WHIP is 1.175. He has conceded 1,471 base hits (8.5 hits per nine innings) and has 350 free passes.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a team OBP of .301 and a batting average of .235 so far this year. They have been called out on strikes on 1,215 instances (4th in the league) and have tallied 1,043 hits. Pittsburgh has 129 home runs so far this season to go along with 526 runs batted in. The Pirates hold a slugging % of .372 and they score 4.16 runs per game (23rd in MLB). They have 191 doubles, while taking a walk 386 times and notching 545 runs.

The Pirates have a WHIP of 1.293 with a FIP of 4.00 as a team this season. They are sitting at 24th in baseball as a staff in total hits surrendered with 1,111. The Pittsburgh pitching staff have relinquished 583 runs for the year while having a team ERA of 4.04 (524 earned runs surrendered). Their K/BB ratio is 8.40 (1,093 strikeouts vs 399 walks). They have allowed 135 homers and they give up 4.49 runs per 9 innings (18th in the league).

With 119 save situations, the Pirates have 62 holds and 25 blown saves. Pittsburgh has called on relievers to enter the game in 56 save opportunities and they have come away with 31 saves. Their bullpen pitchers have come in 143 times in high leverage situations and also on 104 occasions with base runners. Pittsburgh relievers hold an inherited score percentage of 33.8% out of their 154 inherited base runners. They are ranked 27th in the league with a save rate of 55.4%, and they have dispatched 400 relievers to the mound this season.

In their 10,518 innings on the field, the Pirates hold a defensive efficiency of 68.9% (23rd in baseball). The Pittsburgh Pirates have gotten 112 double plays and own a fielding percentage of .985 (17th in professional baseball). The Pirates have recorded 1,120 assists, 70 errors and are sitting with 3,506 putouts during this campaign.

So far in his career, Skenes has allowed 73 hits and he has 130 punch outs in 104 innings pitched. He has allowed a total of 25 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 0.942 and being the owner of a FIP of 2.1. He has a K/BB ratio of 5.20 and he has faced 400 opposing hitters thus far in his career. Skenes (8-2 career record) has a 2.16 ERA and has conceded 6.3 hits per nine innings.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Chicago

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