First Pitch: 6:40 PM ET
Venue: PNC Park — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Venue Profile — PNC Park
- Location: North Shore, Pittsburgh, PA
- Dimensions: LF 325 ft, CF 399 ft, RF 320 ft
- Park Factor: Slightly pitcher‑friendly overall, but boosts LHB pull power due to the short porch in right.
- Surface: Kentucky bluegrass
- Notable: Evening games often see marine-layer‑like river humidity, which can suppress deep fly balls.
Weather Forecast
- Temperature: 67–70°F at first pitch
- Wind: 7–10 mph blowing toward right-center
- Humidity: 63%
- Precipitation: <10% chance
- Impact:
- Slight boost for left-handed pull hitters (Bellinger, Happ, Swinski).
- Otherwise neutral run environment.
Injury Report
Chicago Cubs
- Seiya Suzuki — OUT (hamstring)
- Christopher Morel — Day-to-day (wrist)
- Julian Merryweather — 15‑day IL (shoulder)
- Adbert Alzolay — 60‑day IL (forearm)
Pittsburgh Pirates
- Ke’Bryan Hayes — Day-to-day (back tightness)
- Oneil Cruz — Active but managing minor ankle soreness
- David Bednar — 15‑day IL (lat strain)
- Marco Gonzales — 60‑day IL (elbow)
Team Records & Recent Form
Chicago Cubs (29–25)
- Last 10: 6–4
- Road Record: 13–14
- Run Differential: +18
- Trend: Offense inconsistent but pitching stabilizing. Bullpen shaky without Alzolay.
Pittsburgh Pirates (28–26)
- Last 10: 5–5
- Home Record: 14–12
- Run Differential: +6
- Trend: Young lineup streaky; bullpen depth tested with Bednar out.
Pitching Matchup Breakdown
CHC — LHP Jordan Wicks
- 2026 Stats: 3.88 ERA | 1.27 WHIP | 8.4 K/9
- Profile:
- Changeup-heavy lefty with excellent arm-side fade.
- Generates soft contact vs. RHB.
- Vulnerable when behind in counts; fastball sits 92–93.
- Matchup Notes:
- Pirates have struggled vs. LHP changeups.
- Wicks’ style plays well in PNC Park’s deep left-center.
PIT — RHP Brandon Ashcraft
- 2026 Stats: 4.21 ERA | 1.31 WHIP | 52% GB rate
- Profile:
- Heavy sinker/slider mix.
- When slider is sharp, he induces ground balls at elite levels.
- When he misses up, he gets hit hard.
- Matchup Notes:
- Cubs’ left-handed bats (Bellinger, Happ, Busch) match up well with his sinker.
- Chicago ranks top‑10 in MLB in hard-hit rate vs. RHP sinkers.
Key Player Matchups
Cubs Hitters vs. Ashcraft
- Cody Bellinger: Ideal matchup; Ashcraft’s sinker moves into his barrel.
- Ian Happ: Career .290 vs. sinker/slider RHP profiles.
- Michael Busch: Hot bat, excellent low-ball hitter.
Pirates Hitters vs. Wicks
- Oneil Cruz: Power threat but struggles vs. changeups.
- Bryan Reynolds: Best Pirate vs. LHP; .310 career vs. CHC.
- Jack Suwinski: LHB power plays well with wind blowing to RF.
Series History
- 2025 Season: Cubs won season series 9–4.
- 2026 Season (so far): Cubs lead 2–1.
- At PNC Park (last 3 years): Cubs 14–10.
- Trend: Chicago has consistently hit well in Pittsburgh.
Betting Trends
Chicago Cubs
- 5–1 last 6 as road favorites
- Under is 7–3 in last 10 Wicks starts
- Cubs are 8–3 in their last 11 vs. NL Central
Pittsburgh Pirates
- 4–1 last 5 home games
- Under is 6–2 in last 8 home games
- Pirates are 2–6 in Ashcraft’s last 8 starts vs. winning teams
Head-to-Head Trends
- Under is 9–4 in last 13 meetings
- Cubs are 6–2 in last 8 at PNC Park
GAME ODDS
Chicago Cubs 8
Pittsburgh Pirates – 125
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Monday, May 25, 2026
