The Cubs (81-66) were swept by the Brewers in Milwaukee to all but end the race for the National League Central. Craig Counsell‘s squad had late leads in each of the first two games before the bullpen gave them up both times. Now they find themselves in a position where they need to start winning again in the final 15 games of the season to make sure they reach the playoffs. That final sprint to the finish begins at Wrigley Friday afternoon with the first of three against the Pirates.

Pittsburgh (74-73) is still alive in the playoff race, currently sitting five games behind the Padres for the final Wild Card spot. They just completed a sweep of the White Sox on the South Side and have gone 9-2 in the last 11 to move above .500, so Chicago is catching them at a bad time.

The Bucs offense continues to impress with a team OPS of .734, which is the sixth best in MLB. Outfielder Oneil Cruz is back from injury and raking, as is Bryan Reynolds, who is hitting .333 in September. Second baseman Brandon Lowe is the biggest power threat with 29 dingers this season.

The Pirates pitching staff has been surprisingly pedestrian with a 4.13 team ERA that is 14th best in baseball. The starting rotation has not lived up to its preseason hype with a 4.21 ERA, although they have thrown three shutouts during their recent hot streak. Ace Paul Skenes has seen his velocity drop and his ERA increase to 3.83, but he can still dominate when he’s on.

Pittsburgh’s bullpen has been pretty good with a 4.02 ERA and a pair of left-handers, Gregory Soto and Mason Montgomery, splitting the closing duties. Yohan Ramirez and trade acquisition Luke Weaver are two of the other key pieces in the ‘pen.

The Cubs and the Pirates have split the season series 5-5 so far in 2026. Chicago must snap out of the current slide they are in to make sure they get to October baseball. Winning this series would very much help with that, so let’s see if they can make it happen.

  Game Time and Broadcast Info

Friday, September 11 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee.
Saturday, September 12 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee.
Sunday, September 13 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee.

Starting Pitchers

What to Watch For

Nico Hoerner has seven hits in his last five games.
Holmes wore one against the Marlins last Sunday, giving up eight runs.
The Cubs are 3-6 in September and have gone 9-15 in their last 24 games.
Jacob Webb has allowed nine runs in his last six appearances over 4.2 innings.