Sept. 11, 2026 7:14 am EDT Updated

The Chicago Cubs host the Pittsburgh Pirates to open a three-game series at Wrigley Field, with first pitch at 2:20 p.m. ET on Friday. Shota Imanaga (9-10, 3.91 ERA) gets the start for the Cubs, who are 81-66 this season and second in the NL Central. Wilber Dotel (1-4, 4.41 ERA) is the expected starter for the Pirates, who are 74-73 and third in the NL Central.

How to watch Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago CubsPirates vs. Cubs odds
Favorite Moneyline: Cubs -200
Underdog Moneyline: Pirates +165
Total: 8
Total Over Odds: -110
Total Under Odds: -110
Injury reportsCubs

Dansby Swanson: 10 Day IL (Side), Gavin Hollowell: 15 Day IL (Shoulder), Edward Cabrera: 15 Day IL (Blister), Riley Martin: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Porter Hodge: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Justin Steele: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Shelby Miller: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Hunter Harvey: 60 Day IL (Tricep), Cade Horton: 60 Day IL (Forearm), Phil Maton: 60 Day IL (Knee), Christopher Austin: 60 Day IL (Knee), Ben Brown: 60 Day IL (Neck)

Pirates

Ryan O’Hearn: 10 Day IL (Quadricep), Braxton Ashcraft: 15 Day IL (Arm), Kirby Yates: 15 Day IL (Shoulder), Isaac Mattson: 15 Day IL (Hip), Endy Rodriguez: 60 Day IL (Hip), Mitch Keller: 60 Day IL (Arm)

Stats to know
Chicago’s Pete Crow-Armstrong is slashing .281/.375/.572 this season with 41 home runs (2nd in MLB), 97 RBIs (4th in MLB) and an OPS of .948 (2nd in MLB). He has a 26.1% strikeout rate and an 11.5% walk rate in 659 plate appearances, and he has scored 110 total runs. Crow-Armstrong has recorded 36 steals on 43 attempts.
In 657 plate appearances, Alex Bregman has slashed .260/.349/.440 this season. He has hit 24 long balls and driven in 82 runs with a strikeout rate of 15.1% and a walk rate of 10.8%. He has come around to score 84 times.
Bryan Reynolds has hit 16 home runs this season. He has also tallied 69 RBIs and has scored 98 runs. In 640 plate appearances, he has recorded a .264 BA, .369 OBP and .426 SLG with a 12.8% walk rate and a 23.1% strikeout rate. He has been effective on the base paths, recording nine steals on nine attempts.
In 601 plate appearances, Brandon Lowe has hit 29 long balls (19th in MLB), tallied 83 RBIs (18th in MLB) and scored 86 runs. He is batting .257/.326/.476 and has posted a 29% strikeout rate and a 9.3% walk rate.

This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.

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Photo: Jamie Squire, Ishika Samant, Scott Taetsch, Alika Jenner / Getty Images

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Sep 11, 2026

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