Wrigley’s ivy gets its Friday matinee at 2:20 PM ET on MLB.TV as the 7-5 Pirates roll in to face a .500 Cubs outfit that’s still wondering how it forgot to hit (.223) while the ivy was still green. Carmen Mlodzinski—he of the 1.56 WHIP and a stat line that looks like it was typed by a drunk accountant—gets the ball against Shota Imanaga, who’s 0-1 with a 1.20 WHIP and clearly believes every inning needs a little traffic.
Pittsburgh’s 3.33 staff ERA is the shinier toy here, but both pens are limping: Devenski and Solometo are nursing owies for the Bucs, while the Cubs’ Thornton, Brigham, and Wicks are stacked on the IL like soggy nachos. Something’s gotta give—probably the first pitcher who remembers he can’t groove a fastball to a Chicago day-game crowd that’s already three Old Styles deep. Make your pick or roast me in StreakChat when the scoreboard proves us all liars.