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Cubs-Pirates Preview

Sep 7, 2009 - 5:01 AM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Chicago (68-66) at Pittsburgh (53-81), 12:35 p.m. EDT

The Pittsburgh Pirates avoided making history for one day, but it's unlikely they can continue to do so given their recent history against the Chicago Cubs.

The Pirates are one loss away from a history-making losing season when they begin a three-game home series Monday against the Cubs, who have won 23 of the last 29 meetings.

Pittsburgh (54-81) is one defeat shy of guaranteeing a 17th straight losing season. It will become the first team in any of the four major North American professional sports to have 17 consecutive losing campaigns, surpassing the Philadelphia Phillies' run of futility from 1933-48.

The Pirates ended a nine-game skid and avoided setting the record Sunday with a 6-5 victory over St. Louis. They scored twice in the bottom of the ninth, winning on Garrett Jones' RBI single.

"I was trying to take a nice, short swing and hit a line drive and just get a pitch to hit," Jones said. "It worked out, I hit it decently and it started tailing away."

Chicago (68-67) has dominated Pittsburgh over the last two years, and has won six of eight matchups this season by outscoring the Pirates 46-21. Cubs shortstop Ryan Theriot is 15 for 32 (.469) against the Pirates this year.

One of Pittsburgh's wins over Chicago this year, however, came against Ted Lilly (10-8, 3.17 ERA). The Cubs starter gave up three runs over seven innings June 30 in a 3-0 road loss, falling to 3-1 with a 3.99 ERA in eight career starts versus the Pirates.

Lilly will try to reverse his road woes when he gets the ball Monday. The left-hander is 3-7 with a 4.75 ERA in 12 starts away from Wrigley Field.

He continued his home success by giving up four hits in eight innings Wednesday in a 2-0 win over Houston. The Cubs have won nine straight starts by Lilly at home while losing his last five on the road.

Theriot and Kosuke Fukudome are expected back in the Chicago lineup after each did not start in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Mets. The Cubs have dropped nine of 12 on the road.

Second baseman Jeff Baker went 6 for 10 in the weekend series in New York, and is hitting .388 with 13 runs scored in his last 23 games. Baker is 3 for 9 with a homer and four RBIs in two games against Pittsburgh in 2009.

Daniel McCutchen (0-0, 4.50) will make his second major league start for Pittsburgh. He gave up three runs over six innings last Monday in a 4-3 loss at Cincinnati in his debut.

McCutchen was originally slated to join Team USA for next month's World Cup in Europe. The right-hander was instead called up from Triple-A Indianapolis, where he went 13-6 with a 3.47 ERA in 24 starts.