CHICAGO — Gerrit Cole has been in the right place at the right time a few times lately. First there was his proud performance May 4 at a Penguins playoff game, then an incident at the Art Institute of Chicago earlier this week when Cole met his mirror image in an oil painting.
But those can be explained later.
On Cole’s shoulders today rests the Pirates’ final chance to avoid a series sweep at Wrigley Field and snap an 0-5 start against the Chicago Cubs, owners of a league-best 27-8 record. Opposing Cole will be left-hander Jon Lester, who is 4-1 with a 1.