Cubs, Pirates Square Off in NL Wild-Card Game | IXGAMES
The NL Central has been a monster of a division this season, and two of its best teams meet on Wednesday for a chance to advance in the postseason. The Chicago Cubs (-145 on the moneyline) head to Pittsburgh (+125 on the moneyline), and both teams will send their aces to the mound. Jake Arrieta gets the ball for the Cubs. His 22 wins led the majors this season, and he finished second in innings and ERA (1.77), and third in strikeouts. Over the last month, Arrieta has a 5-0 record and hasn’t allowed an earned run in three starts. Against the Pirates, Arrieta is 3-1 in five starts with a 0.75 ERA. He’s 2-0 in Pittsburgh with an ERA of 0.82 in three starts. The Pirates counter with Gerrit Cole, who had 19 wins this season and finished fifth in ERA in the NL. After struggling in August, Cole stepped up in September, going 4-1 in six starts with a 3.29 ERA. Against the Cubs this season, Cole was 2-1 in four starts with a 2.13 ERA. Cole is 9-3 in 15 starts with an ERA of 283. This will be the first time Cole and Arrieta meet this season. The total is set at 5.5.