The Cubs have been blanked in the first two games of this series, giving them three shutouts in their last four games. The only contest in which they’ve scored in that span was their 12-0 combined no-hitter over the Pirates. This is a situation in which run differential doesn’t tell the whole story. With the NFL in full swing and the Cubs’ postseason chances dwindling to nothing, I’m not going to bother with much explication here.
Jameson Taillon has been pretty good this season and he’s coming off a start in which he held the Pirates scoreless for seven innings, but his overall performance over the last month and change has been rough.