This is an 8* play on the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Pittsburgh has won five of it's last six, and the Pirates are now hot on the heels of the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central. The Cardinals lead has been reduced to just 2.5 games with 20 games left to play. Pittsburgh will host the Cubs this week, and the Cubs are just 7-16 in their last 23 games at Pittsburgh. The Pirates have won 40 of their last 53 games at PNC Park.

Gerrit Cole will toe the slab for the Bucs in Game 1 of a double-header Tuesday, and Cole has been lights out in day games this year. The right-hander is 7-1 with a 1.63 ERA in nine starts in the afternoon, and 1-1 with a 1.50 ERA in two starts versus the Cubs. Both of those games were at Wrigley, and he was 5-0 with a 3.38 ERA against the Cubs prior to this year. The Cubs hand the ball to Jason Hammel, who has struggled in day games this year. He's 2-3 with a 4.80 ERA in nine starts in the afternoon.

Take PIT.

GL,

Jesse Schule