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Cubs-Pirates Preview

May 6, 2010 - 3:34 AM By BRETT HUSTON STATS Writer

Chicago (13-14) at Pittsburgh (11-15), 7:05 p.m. EDT

The Pittsburgh Pirates have already lost 11 games by at least six runs, a pattern that suggests an 18th straight losing season is on the horizon.

When staying close, though, they've been awfully tough to beat.

Solid pitching has lifted the Pirates to two tight wins against visiting Chicago, and another close contest could be in store Thursday night as Pittsburgh looks to complete its first three-game sweep of the Cubs in nearly four years.

The Pirates (12-15) have allowed 86 more runs than they've scored - by far the worst differential in the majors - but they're hanging around .500 nonetheless. Pittsburgh's 15 losses have been by an average of 7.4 runs, but it's a major league-best 10-1 in games decided by two runs or fewer.

Two solid outings by starting pitchers, and Ryan Church's bat have helped the Pirates take two close games in this set. Paul Maholm went six innings, and Church hit a two-run shot in Tuesday's 3-2 win. Struggling Charlie Morton then lasted through six innings for his first win of the season, and Church's solo homer provided some insurance in a 4-2 victory Wednesday.

Pittsburgh is 10-1 when it scores four runs or more, and 12-3 when it allows five runs or fewer.

The Pirates might have a tough time cracking the four-run barrier against Randy Wells (3-0, 3.45 ERA), who went 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in a pair of starts against Pittsburgh as a rookie with Chicago in 2009.

Wells is coming off his worst start of the season, though it still yielded a positive result. The right-hander gave up five runs and eight hits over six innings last Thursday - striking out eight - but was backed by four homers in an 11-5 win over Arizona at windy Wrigley Field.

"Just coming away with a 'W' is all I care about," Wells told the Cubs' official website. "(The wind) kind of forced me to make some pitches that I wasn't really proud of. All in all, the victory is what matters."

Wells has received an average of 6.6 runs of support this year, but Chicago's offense has gone silent in Pittsburgh. Manager Lou Piniella decided he'd seen enough from the slumping Aramis Ramirez in the No. 5 spot, and flipped him with red-hot No. 6 hitter Alfonso Soriano on Wednesday, but the Cubs (13-15) managed just five singles.

"I thought the way we swung the bats at the end of the homestand, we'd come on the road and there'd be a nice carryover," Piniella said. "The first two games, it didn't start the right way."

The Pirates are in position to sweep Chicago for the first time since Aug. 28-30, 2006, and should feel better about their chances after Brian Burres' latest outing.

In his second spot start filling in for the injured Ross Ohlendorf, Burres (1-1, 6.00) held the Dodgers to four hits over 5 1-3 innings last Thursday in a 2-0 victory - his first since July 11, 2008, with Baltimore.

"It's just taken him a little while to get his feet on the ground," manager John Russell told the Pirates' official website. "To come out with a win, he did a great job."

With Ohlendorf set to come off the disabled list next week, the role of Burres - who had a 9.31 ERA in his first three appearances - is unclear going forward.

Burres has only one inning of relief experience against the Cubs.