The Chicago Cubs close out their Pittsburgh road trip on Sunday, July 26, when Jameson Taillon takes the ball against Pirates right-hander Braxton Ashcraft at PNC Park. First pitch is set for 1:35 PM ET, with the game airing on Marquee Sports Network and radio coverage available on 104.3 The Score. Every game at this point in the season carries real weight in the standings, and a series-capping road win over a division rival is exactly the kind of result that defines playoff pushes.
Pitching Matchup: Taillon vs. Ashcraft at PNC Park
Jameson Taillon gets the start for the Cubs in what is a familiar setting — he pitched for the Pirates earlier in his career before moving on to New York and beyond. Taillon is a contact manager who works with a varied arsenal and relies on generating weak contact rather than racking up strikeouts in bunches. How he commands the strike zone on Sunday will go a long way toward determining Chicago's outcome in this one.
Ashcraft is a young arm the Pirates have been developing, and he represents the kind of pitcher the Cubs will need to solve with patience and discipline at the plate. PNC Park plays as a pitcher-friendly environment, particularly to center and left-center field, so Chicago's lineup will need to square balls up rather than fish for home runs.
Keys to Watch for the Cubs
- Taillon's command: If he is hitting his spots and keeping the ball off the barrel, the Cubs have a genuine shot at a low-scoring road win. If he is behind in counts early, Pittsburgh's lineup can make him pay.
- Plate discipline against Ashcraft: Young starters can be vulnerable when pushed deep into counts. The Cubs need to work pitches, get into the bullpen, and avoid early-count outs against an arm that is still establishing itself at the big-league level.
- Run support: Taillon can only do so much. The Cubs' offense needs to manufacture runs even in a ballpark that tends to suppress scoring, whether that means stringing hits together or situational execution with runners in scoring position.
- Bullpen management: With this being a Sunday afternoon game, manager Craig Counsell will have an eye on usage and who is available heading into the next series. Taillon going deep into the game matters beyond just today's result.
Prediction
This shapes up as a tight, lower-scoring afternoon game — the kind that often comes down to one or two key at-bats. Taillon is a veteran who knows how to compete in these environments, and if he gives the Cubs six solid innings, Chicago has enough in its lineup to scratch out the runs needed. The Cubs take this one on the road, 4-2, and head into the week with a series win against a division opponent.
