PITTSBURGH PIRATES NOTES:
THE PIRATES:..opened their six-game road trip with an 11-3 loss Tuesday night at Wrigley Field…Have had four separate winning streaks of at least four games this season, including a season-high seven-game winning streak from 4/17-23…Returned to first place following Friday’s win for the second time this month…Have a 1.0 game lead over the Brewers for first place in the National League Central coming into today.
ROSTER MOVE: Prior to tonight’s game the Pirates selected right-handed pitcher Osvaldo Bido to the Major League roster… Outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba has been optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis to make room for Bido on the 26-man active roster…Bido, who has no previous big league experience, will wear uniform No. 70…The 40-man roster is now at 38.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW: Osvaldo Bido will make his big league debut tonight against the Cubs after being selected to the Major League roster…Bido becomes the fourth Pirate to make his big league debut this season, joining Cody Bolton, Drew Maggi and Jose Hernandez.
JACK’S JACKS: Jack Suwinski has gone deep in two straight and four times in his last four games (it’s the fifth time in his career he has homered in back-to-back games and the fourth time to do it this season)…Fourteen of Suwinski’s 15 home runs this season have come as a center fielder, which are tied for the second-most at that position along with Mike Trout…The only center fielder in MLB with more home runs is Luis Robert Jr. of the White Sox (15).
FOR STARTERS: Tonight Osvaldo Bido will become the seventh different starting pitcher used by the Pirates this season, joining Rich Hill, Mitch Keller, Roansy Contreras, Vince Velasquez, Johan Oviedo and Luis Ortiz…The only other teams in MLB to use just six starters this season coming into today are the Nationals and Blue Jays…Oakland and Tampa Bay have used the most (13).
40 BUCS: Osvaldo Bido will become the 40th player to appear in a game for the Pirates this season when he makes his debut tonight…Coming into today, Oakland and Cincinnati have used the most players in MLB this year (45), while the Astros and Nationals are tied for the fewest (33).
LOVING LEFTIES: Pittsburgh is 11-7 in games started by opposing lefties this season (last year the Pirates went 22-33 in games started by southpaws)…Rodolfo Castro ranks seventh in all of MLB with a .701 slugging percentage off southpaws, 11th with a .358 average and tied for sixth with 16 RBI.
BACK HOME AT THE FRIENDLY CONFINES: Tonight, Jack Suwinski will take part in a pregame ceremony honoring his alma mater, Taft High School, for winning the 2023 Softball City Championship…Suwinski, a 2016 graduate, played at Wrigley Field as a high school sophomore as his team advanced to the Baseball City Championship Series… Suwinski also helped Taft reach the Baseball City Championships in 2016 as a senior.
THE RESILIENT PIRATES: The Pirates are 8-4 in their last 12 games since falling under .500 with a record of 26-27 following their loss on May 29 at San Francisco…Since May 30, Pittsburgh’s 8-4 record is tied for the second-best in MLB along with the Braves and Orioles…Arizona is a Major League best 10-3 since May 30.
STARTING PITCHER – 70 – RHP OSVALDO BIDO
OSVALDO BIDO: The 27-year-old righthander will make his Major League debut tonight after being promoted to the big leagues prior to tonight’s game…Was signed by the Pirates as a nondrafted free agent on 3/14/17…Has gone 27-42 with a 4.40 ERA (529.2ip/259er) in 121 appearances (108 starts) since making his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League in 2017…Joins Rodolfo Castro, Yerry De Los Santos and Luis Ortiz as members of the Pirates organization who have graduated from Pittsburgh’s academy in the Dominican Republic.
VS. CHICAGO (NL): Has never faced the Cubs.
CHICAGO CUBS NOTES:
Cubs vs. Pirates
The Cubs and Pirates play 13 games spanning four series this season … following this three-game set the teams meet next week at PNC Park for a three-game series … the Cubs have won the last eight season series against Pittsburgh dating to 2015, including a 10-9 mark in 2022.
A FINE OPENING SALVO: The Chicago Cubs tonight play the second of three games against the Pittsburgh Pirates after taking last evening’s series opener, 11-3 … Jameson Taillon recorded his first quality start of the season (3 ER/6.0 IP) while Ian Happ belted a three-run first-inning homer, Matt Mervis drove in the game-winning run with a RBI sixth-inning single and the Cubs plated four runs in the seventh inning. © The team’s 11 runs scored last night were its most since a 13-0 victory April 21 vs. the Dodgers.
The Cubs are in the second day of a stretch in which six of nine games through June 21 are against the Pirates … this six-game homestand features three games against the Pirates then three against the Orioles before Chicago and Pittsburgh play three games at PNC Park starting June 19.
The Cubs have won six of their last seven games against the Pirates dating to July 25 of last season.
CURRENT EVENTS: The Cubs have won three of their last four games after suffering a three-game sweep in Anaheim against the Angels last week … the team’s series win (2-1) at the Giants last weekend was the team’s first road series victory since sweeping the Athletics in Oakland April 17-19.
This is the 12th contest (5-6) in a stretch that began June 2 in which the Cubs play 15 of 21 games on the road … this stretch wraps up with he team’s two London Series against against St. Louis June 24-25 … eight of the 15 games are against division rivals — six against Pittsburgh (3 at home, 3 on the road) and the two games of the London Series.
After the game on April 21, Chicago was 12-7 and 1.5 games behind the division lead … since, the club is 17-30 and enters today 5.5 games behind the division-leading Pirates, sitting at 34-31.
YOU ONLY GET ONE FIRST IMPRESSION: The Cubs tonight face Pirates starter Osvaldo Bido, making his major league debut … it’s the third time this season the Cubs will go up against a starting pitcher making his big league debut … Chicago faced Athletics starter Mason Miller (4.1 IP, 2 ER) in a 12-2 win in Oakland April 19 then took on Nationals starter Jake Irvin (4.1 IP, 1 ER) in a 2-1 setback in Washington May 3.
Chicago last season twice faced starting pitchers making their major league debuts, both with Milwaukee: Ethan Small on May 30 (gm. 1) in a 7-6 Brewers win and Jason Alexander on June 1 in a 4-3, 10-inning Cubs victory.
Chicago has gone up against starting pitchers making their major league debuts nine times since the start of the 2020 season with the team going 6-3 in those contests.
THAT’S JUST GLOVELY: Dansby Swanson has gone 49-straight games at shortstop without an error dating to April 20 (166 TC) … just two Cubs since 1901 have had longer errorless stretches at shortstop: Don Kessinger in 1969 went 54-consecutive games at shortstop without an error (274 TC) and Mick Kelleher went 60-straight games at shortstop without a miscue, spanning the 1976-79 campaigns (199 TC).
Swanson’s 2.4 WAR is second among National League shortstops and fourth in the majors, according to FanGraphs … Tampa Bay’s Wander Franco leads all shortstops with a 3.2 mark, followed by Toronto’s Bo Bichette (2.5) and San Francisco’s Thairo Estrada (2.5) … Swanson 162 assists rank fourth-most among shortstops and his nine defensive runs saved are second among all shortstops behind Franco (10).
OUR PLEASURE IS DOUBLED: Including turning a double play last night, Chicago has turned 64 double plays, tied for the most in the N.L. with the Giants and tied for fourth in the majors behind Colorado (68), Baltimore (67) and Houston (65).
FAMILIAR ON THE BASEPATHS: Ian Happ has reached base safely in each of his last 32 games against the Pirates dating to April 10 of 2021 … he’s batted .350 (41-for-117) with 12 doubles, five homers, 22 RBI, 18 walks and a 1.026 OPS during the stretch.
Moreover, Happ has reached base safely in each of his last 41 starts against the Pirates dating to July 31, 2020.
STINGY IN VICTORY: Last night marked just the second time since April 14 that the Cubs allowed more than two runs in a victory … 21 of the team’s last 23 victories have featured the opponent being held to two or fewer runs – besides last night, the other win in this span in which Chicago allowed more than two runs came in a 10-4 win vs. the Cardinals on May 10.
STARTING STUFF: Cubs starting pitchers have posted a 3.88 ERA (151 ER/350.1 IP) this season, the second-best mark among N.L. starting rotations and sixth-best in the majors … the rotation’s 1.20 WHIP ranks sixth among major league teams.
Cubs starting pitchers rank first and second among qualified starting pitchers in the N.L. in ERA, with Marcus Stroman pacing the pack with a 2.42 ERA and Justin Steele second with a 2.65 ERA.
Chicago has received 30 quality starts, tied for the most in the N.L. with Pittsburgh and tied for sixth-most in baseball.
SUNSHINE AND MERRYWEATHER IN THE FORECAST: Julian Merryweather since April 17 has pitched to a 1.19 ERA (3 ER/22.2 IP) with one win and allowed 17 hits and 10 walks with 34 strikeouts in 23 appearances … among all pitchers with at least 23 appearances in that span, he ranks fourth in ERA and sixth in strikeouts per 9.0 innings (13.50).
His current streak of nine-straight scoreless outings (8.2 IP) are a career high … on the season, he’s allowed three hits in 31 at-bats against left-handed hitters (.097) and limited them to a .273 OPS.
Starting Pitcher – #11 LHP Drew Smyly (5-4, 3.27)
Last Time Out
Drew suffered his third-straight loss June 8 in Anaheim, but tossed his fifth quality start of the season … has allowed seven hits in three-straight starts … is 0-3 with a 5.51 ERA (10 ER/16.1 IP) in his last three starts after posting a 2.13 ERA (12 ER/50.2 IP) in nine starts from April 10-May 27 … has walked three batters in back-to-back outings after walking more than two only once in his first 11 starts.
Date Opp. Result IP H R ER BB SO PC-S Left
6/3 @LAA L, 1-3 6.0 7 3 2 3 4 103-63 1-3
2023 Splits and Season Notes
W-L ERA G GS IP H R ER BB SO
Home 2-1 3.52 6 6 30.2 21 12 12 9 32
Road 3-3 3.07 7 7 41.0 42 18 14 11 28
AVG vs. LHB: .317 (20-for-63) / AVG vs. RHB: .208 (43-for-207)
Drew is scheduled to make his 14th start of the season today, his seventh at home … has not suffered a loss in four-straight starts since April 22-May 18, 2022 (five) … is 0-3 with a 5.51 ERA (10 ER/16.1 IP) in his last three starts after going 5-0 with a 2.13 ERA (12 ER/50.2 IP) in nine starts from April 10-May 27 … opposing batters are hitting .175 (25-for-143) with one home run and 45 strikeouts against his curveball.
Completed his 1000th career inning in the first inning May 28 vs. Cincinnati.
Allowed two-or-fewer runs in nine-straight starts from April 10-May 27, posting a 2.13 ERA (12 ER/50.2 IP) during the run, the fourth-lowest ERA in the majors (min. 9 GS).
April 21 vs. Los Angeles (N.L.) retired the first 21 batters of the game, becoming the first Cub to take a perfect game bid into the eighth inning since José Guzmán (April 6, 1993 vs. Atlanta) … was the first Cub to record a start of 7.0-plus innings with one hit, no runs, no walks and at least 10 strikeouts since Kerry Wood’s 20-strikeout game (May 6, 1998 vs. Houston).
Went 0-2 with a 6.06 ERA (11 ER/16.1 IP) with a 13:2 SO:BB ratio during Cactus League play.
