Cubs Home Run Barrage Sinks Pirates

Entering a three game set in Pittsburgh, both the Chicago Cubs and the Pirates found themselves in the midst of a skid. The Cubs had been swept in Milwaukee and then narrowly escaped the same fate in St. Louis, while the Pirates had gone 2-5 on a road trip to Atlanta and Philadelphia. Both looking to right the ship, it was the Cubs who came out on top in game one behind Carlos Zambrano, despite two home runs by former Cub first baseman Derrek Lee, a new member of the Pirates.

Tuesday will see Randy Wells, 2-4 with a 6.16 ERA and 1.68 WHIP, has had a tough 2011 season, with struggles in the first inning and on the road. He's coming off of a start against Milwaukee in which he took the loss after giving up four runs on eight hits and two walks over 6.0 innings pitched. In his last start against the Pirates, Wells also earned a loss after giving up five runs on five hits and three walks over just 4.0 innings, striking out seven in the process. This season, Neil Walker is 2-for-2 against Wells with a double, while Ronny Cedeno is 1-for-2 with a home run.

The Pirates will hope that starter Kevin Correia can turn in another quality start on Tuesday. Correia has also struggled this year, but is coming off a game against Atlanta in which he earned the win after giving up two runs (one earned) on nine hits and a walk over 6.1 innings pitched. In his last game against the Cubs, Correia took the loss after giving up five runs on nine hits and a walk over 3.2 innings. This season, Darwin Barney is 4-for-8 against Correia, while Starlin Castro is 4-for-9 with a double.

The weather in Pittsburgh is forecast to be warm and cloudy, with a chance of severe thunderstorms and a game time temperature in the low to mid 80's. Weather permitting, first pitch is at 6:05 P.M., CDT, and the game will be televised on WGN and ROOT Sports.