GAME #68/HOME #36 RHP JAKE ARRIETA (6-4, 4.68 ERA) Vs
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CHICAGO CUBS (33-33) vs. PITTSBURGH PIRATES (30-37) JUNE 17, 2017 at PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA --- GAME #68/HOME #36 RHP JAKE ARRIETA (6-4, 4.68 ERA) vs. RHP IVAN NOVA (6-4, 2.83 ERA) THE PIRATES...have lost back-to-back games after winning a season-high four straight between 6/10-13...Have gone 16-15 in their last 31 games, dating back to 5/13...Have scored a season-high 12 runs four times; the last time coming on 6/2 at New York (NL)...Had a 33-34 record after 67 games last season (33-35 after 68). SATURDAYS IN THE PARK: The Pirates have gone 8-2 on Saturdays this season, losing only to the two teams from New York; BUCS WHEN... the Yankees at PNC Park on 4/22 and the Mets at Citi Field on 6/3...The Bucs have posted the third-highest batting average (.290) among all Major League teams on Saturdays this year, trailing only Colorado (.299) and Oakland (.291). Last five games ................ 3-2 IVAN THE GREAT: Ivan Nova has pitched at least 6.0 innings in each of his first 13 starts this season; the first Pittsburgh Last ten games .................4-6 pitcher to do so since Eddie Solomon, who pitched 6.0 innings or more in all 17 starts in 1981...Nova pitched 6.0 scoreless innings in his last start and has been charged with two earned runs or less in six of his 13 assignments this year...He enters Leading after 6 .................21-5 today’s action ranked first in the National League with two complete games, sixth in ERA (2.83) and sixth in innings pitched (89.0). Tied after 6 ....................4-3 SUPER NOVA: Since being acquired by the Pirates last year on August 1, Ivan Nova’s 2.93 ERA is the fourth-best among all Trailing after 6 ................ 5-29 Major League pitchers (minimum 140.0ip) behind Minnesota’s Ervin Santana (2.65), Washington’s Max Scherzer (2.66) and Chicago’s Jon Lester (2.80)...His 1.05 WHIP in that time is the second-best in the N.L. behind Scherzer (0.92). Leading after 7 ................ 25-4 THROWING STRIKES: Ivan Nova has walked a total of seven batters in his 13 starts this season and just 10 in his 24 starts Tied after 7 .....................1-2 since joining the Bucco staff last August 1...According to the Elias Sports Bureau, only one other Pittsburgh pitcher since 1900 has walked seven or fewer batters in his first 13 starts of a season; Babe Adams issued only five walks in his first 13 starts Trailing after 7 .................4-31 of the 1920 season and six in his first 13 assignments in 1922. Leading after 8 ................ 25-4 HEATING UP IN JUNE: Over the course of his big league career (2009-2017), Andrew McCutchen has produced some of his highest monthly totals during the month of June...His .314 career batting average in June during that time ranks first among Tied after 8 .................... 2-2 N.L. players (min: 750 AB) and third among all MLB players behind Miguel Cabrera (.327) and Adrian Beltre (.321)...Cutch’s Trailing after 8 .................3-31 144 RBI total ranks third among all Major League players behind Albert Pujols (169) and Cabrera (153). Scoring first ..................19-12 FIGURING IT OUT: In their last four meetings against Jake Arrieta, the Pirates have hit .309 (29-for-94) with seven home runs while winning three of the four games as Arrieta has produced an 8.37 ERA (23.0ip/22r/22er)...In the previous nine regular Opp. score first ................11-25 season games prior to this current stretch, the Chicago righthander went 7-1 with a 0.86 ERA (63.0ip/7r/6er) against the Bucs while holding the club to zero home runs and a .139 (29-for-209) batting average. Scoring 4+ ...................26-9 DOING IT FOR DAD: The Pirates are joining all of Major League Baseball in celebrating Father’s Day and participating in the Scoring less than 4 .............4-28 fight against prostate cancer...Players will sport specialty jerseys, caps and socks in addition to wristbands and the symbolic blue ribbon on their jerseys today and tomorrow...MLB will again donate all royalty payments from the sale of the specialty Outhitting Opp. ............... 22-4 caps and jerseys to the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Stand Up To Cancer...In addition, players can use blue equipment Being out-hit ..................6-31 including compression sleeves, batting gloves, footwear, wrist/elbow/leg guards, and catcher’s equipment...A specially- stitched baseball made by Rawlings, matching the color theme of the uniforms, will be used in games on Sunday only. Hits are equal .................. 2-2 GOING BATTY: The Bucs are batting .297 (139-for-468) in 13 games this month and .288 (232-for-806) beginning with the Comeback wins ................. 15 action on May 23...In 22 games since then, Pittsburgh’s .291 team batting average is the second-highest mark in the National League behind Miami (.295)...The Pirates have banged out 10 or more hits nine times in their last 14 games. Wins in final AB ..................6 SIXTH SENSE: In 19 games since moving to the sixth spot of the batting order on 5/26, Andrew McCutchen has gone 28-for-70 Walkoff Wins ....................4 (.400) with five doubles, a triple, five home runs and 16 RBI while producing a 1.196 OPS...He has hit safely in 17 of the 19 Losses in final AB .................9 games, raising his season average 57 points from .203 to .260...In addition, McCutchen has produced five multi-hit games in his last seven starts (13-for-26) and has gone 19-for-44 (.432) in his last 11 contests...Since 5/26, Cutch’s .400 average is Walkoff Losses ...................6 the third-highest in the Major Leagues behind Seattle’s Ben Gamel (.416) and Washington’s Daniel Murphy (.411). Extra Inning Games .............5-6 RAVING ABOUT RIVERO: Felipe Rivero has been charged with one run in his last 15 appearances (15.0ip) while striking out 18 batters and holding opponents to a .115 average (6-for-52)...Rivero enters today’s action with the third-lowest ERA (0.76) Playing errorless ..............13-18 among Major League relievers behind Dellin Betances (0.42) and Pat Neshek (0.69). Committing at least 1 Error .......17-19 BUCS/CUBS: The Pirates and Cubs are meeting this weekend for the first time since playing a three-game series at PNC Park April 24-26...The Bucs lost two of those three games, but swept a three-game series at Wrigley Field during the first meeting Homered ....................22-21 between the teams April 14-16...The Pirates posted a 4-14-1 record against the Cubs in 2016, going 3-6-1 in Pittsburgh. 2+ homers ....................9-2 MERCER MERCER ME: Jordy Mercer is hitting .393 (35-for-89) with seven doubles, two triples, three homers and 13 RBI in his last 22 games and has hit safely in 23 of his last 28 games, going 39-for-109 (.358) with three homers and 14 RBI... Series (W-L-T) ............... 9-9-3 Beginning with the action on 5/16, Mercer has raised his season average 75 points from .203 to .278. Series Sweeps ....................2 COMING THRU IN A PINCH: John Jaso connected for his second pinch-hit home run of the season Tuesday night and has gone Swept in a Series .................5 6-for-16 (.375) with seven RBI overall as a pinch hitter this season...Over the last four seasons (2014-2017), Jaso is hitting .347 (26-for-75) with four home runs and 16 RBI as a pinch hitter...According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that is the highest Interleague ...................2-6 batting average as a pinch hitter for any player in the Major Leagues over that span (minimum 50 at bats). Before the break ............. 30-37 ON THIS DATE IN PIRATES HISTORY After the break .................0-0 June 17, 2009: Adam and Andy LaRoche became the first pair of Pirates brothers to homer in the same game since Paul and Lloyd Waner on September 15, 1938 against the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds (Paul actually hit two in that game)...It marked the fourth time in team Starter goes 6.0ip+ ............17-16 history that two brothers homered in the same contest…In addition, Andrew McCutchen hit his first Major League home run, a two-run shot Starter goes less than 6.0ip ........13-21 off Minnesota’s Francisco Liriano. UP-COMING GAMES AND PROBABLE PITCHERS Sunday vs. Chicago (NL) 1:35 RHP John Lackey (4-7, 5.26 ERA) vs. RHP Jameson Taillon (3-1, 2.90 ERA) ROOT Monday at Milwaukee 6:40 CDT RHP Gerrit Cole (4-6, 4.54 ERA) vs. RHP Matt Garza (3-2, 4.17 ERA) ROOT Tuesday at Milwaukee 6:40 CDT RHP Chad Kuhl (1-6, 5.61 ERA) vs. RHP Zach Davies (7-3, 4.91 ERA) ROOT Wednesday at Milwaukee 7:10 CDT RHP Trevor Williams (3-3, 5.16 ERA) vs. RHP Junior Guerra (1-1, 2.84 ERA) ROOT Thursday at Milwaukke 1:10 CDT RHP Ivan Nova vs. RHP Chase Anderson ROOT 46 - RHP IVAN NOVA YEAR W-L ERA G GS CG SHO IP H R ER BB SO 2016 12-8 4.17 32 26 3 0 162.0 175 81 75 28 127 2017 6-4 2.83 13 13 2 1 89.0 83 30 28 7 48 M.L.