Pirates Cubs Preview

The

Pittsburgh Pirates open against the Chicago Cubs today.

The Cubs have some questions that might need answered on offense.  They lack a true leadoff hitter.  Alfonso Soriano is ice cold.  Carlos Pena is off to a slow start.  Aramis Ramirez seems out to tear apart the NL in his contract year.

The Cubs are probably pumped that the Bucs pitching staff is headed to Wrigley.  But remember this fact.

Robert Redford will be on hand Opening Day.  But remember movie pimp…

In the opening seriers, the Pirates have nothing to fear in the Cubs starters.  Well other than the unknown in Matt Garza that after a shaky spring has some Cubs fans believing the ballclub might have invested too much of their future to lock up the right hander.

Ryan Dempster has been a beast in the month of April.  The opposition hasn’t hit higher than .200 off Dempster in two of the past three Aprils. (We’re not sure that is even a real sentence)

Kevin Correia has a lot to prove to Pirates fans.  He has a monster ERA in Wrigley.  It’s too high to even print.  Hint:  the RumBunter computers won’t allow us to print anything higher than an eight ERA. 

Pray for rain.

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The Madness Matinee

Carlos Zambrano was shaky in Spring Training.  He sucks on Opening Day so the Cubs bumped him to Saturday.  Let’s hope his suckiness continues.  But his strong K/9 against the Pirates hitters when combined with the overwhelming K numbers by Pirates during Spring Training could get scary..

Paul Maholm owns the Cubs despite an ERA over six. 

It’s hard to predict what either of these pitchers will do Saturday.  Maholm just wins against the Cubs so let’s go with an 8-6 Bucco victory.

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The Battle of Awful Springs

Matt Garza has never faced the Bucs.  So you thought Ohlendorf had a bad Spring?  Garza threw 21.2 innings.  He walked 14, struck out 20, but allowed 35 hits.

Ross Ohlendorf pitched well in two starts versus the Cubbies last season.  He threw 13 innings and allowed just three runs.  But much was written about his Spring Training. 

We would die laughing if this is the pitcher’s duel of the series.

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Pirates Player to Watch:

Andrew McCutchen has been on a tear.

CLICK ON THIS….

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DelusionalCubsFan.comprovided the original bobblehead graphic, we modified it.