Venue: PNC Park – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Surface: Natural grass
Capacity: ~38,700
Scheduled First Pitch: 7:05 PM ET / 4:05 PM PT
Weather Forecast (Pittsburgh, PA)
Temperature: 81°F Humidity: 64% Wind: 6 mph NW Rain Chance: 10% Conditions: Warm, light breeze blowing out toward left; slight boost for right‑handed pull hitters.
Injury Report
Chicago Cubs
Seiya Suzuki – OF: Day‑to‑day, ankle soreness
Nico Hoerner – 2B: Active, minor wrist tightness
Justin Steele – LHP: 15‑day IL, forearm strain
Michael Busch – 1B: Day‑to‑day, hamstring tightness
Julian Merryweather – RHP: Out, elbow inflammation
Pittsburgh Pirates
Oneil Cruz – SS: Active, minor quad tightness
Ke’Bryan Hayes – 3B: Day‑to‑day, back stiffness
Rowdy Tellez – 1B: 10‑day IL, oblique strain
Luis Ortiz – RHP: 15‑day IL, shoulder fatigue
Endy Rodríguez – C: Out, elbow recovery
Pitching Matchup Breakdown
Shōta Imanaga – LHP, Cubs
2026 Season: 3.12 ERA | 1.08 WHIP | 118.2 IP | 132 K | 24 BB
Profile: Four‑seam/slider/changeup mix; elite command; deceptive fastball.
Strengths: Misses bats at top of zone; excellent vs. right‑handed hitters; rarely walks batters.
Weaknesses: Occasional home‑run susceptibility; Pirates’ left‑handed bats (Cruz, Suwinski) can challenge him.
Vs. Pirates Lineup:
Pirates struggle vs. elite command lefties.
Imanaga’s changeup neutralizes aggressive hitters like Cruz.
Paul Skenes – RHP, Pirates
2026 Season: 3.41 ERA | 1.17 WHIP | 124.1 IP | 146 K | 31 BB
Profile: Upper‑90s fastball, wipeout slider, power sinker; elite strikeout ability.
Strengths: Dominant vs. right‑handed hitters; generates whiffs at elite rate; strong home splits.
Weaknesses: Occasionally high pitch counts; Cubs’ patient lineup can extend at‑bats.
Vs. Cubs Lineup:
Chicago’s left‑handed bats (Happ, Bellinger) match up well vs. high‑velocity righties.
Skenes must avoid middle‑middle sliders to Bellinger.
Key Player Matchups
Cody Bellinger (CHC) vs. Paul Skenes
Bellinger hits high‑velocity fastballs well (.298 vs 95+ mph in 2026).
Skenes’ slider must be sharp to avoid damage.
Ian Happ (CHC) vs. Skenes
Happ’s OBP skills challenge Skenes’ pitch efficiency.
Happ’s switch‑hitting gives him flexibility vs. Skenes’ pitch mix.
Oneil Cruz (PIT) vs. Imanaga
Cruz’s power vs. lefties is elite when he’s locked in.
Imanaga’s changeup can exploit Cruz’s chase tendencies.
Bryan Reynolds (PIT) vs. Imanaga
Reynolds is Pittsburgh’s most consistent bat vs. lefties.
Key matchup for run‑production.
Recent Team Form
Chicago Cubs
Last 10 Games: 6–4
Road Record: 27–23
Offense: 4.8 runs/game; strong plate discipline
Pitching: 3.91 team ERA; bullpen stabilizing
Trend: Playing confident baseball; lineup producing consistently.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Last 10 Games: 5–5
Home Record: 28–25
Offense: 4.4 runs/game; inconsistent but explosive
Pitching: 4.07 team ERA; bullpen improving
Trend: Competitive but streaky; Skenes remains the anchor.
Series History
2024–2026 Combined: Cubs lead 22–17
At PNC Park: Cubs lead 11–9
Cubs have won four of the last six meetings.
Games at PNC Park tend to be lower‑scoring (avg. 7.9 runs/game).
Betting Trends
Chicago Cubs
7–3 in Imanaga’s last 10 starts
6–2 in last eight road games
Under has hit in 5 of last 7 Cubs games
Pittsburgh Pirates
5–2 in Skenes’ last seven starts
4–6 in last 10 home games
Under has hit in 6 of last 9 Pirates games
Head‑to‑Head
Under has hit in 7 of last 10 meetings
Cubs have covered -1.5 in 3 of last 5 wins vs. Pittsburgh
Pitching matchups have dominated recent series
Game Odds
Chicago Cubs 7.5
Pittsburgh Pirates – 120
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, July 24, 2026
