(Best E Casino) - The
Chicago Cubs try to continue their recent mastery of the
Pittsburgh Pirates this afternoon when the NL Central rivals start a three-game set at Wrigley Field in the lone series being contested in the Senior Circuit this weekend.
Chicago has won all six of its matchups with the Pirates this season and nine in a row dating back to last season. The Cubs have also won seven of their last nine at home versus the Bucs.
The first-place Cubs enter this series after winning three of four from the San Diego Padres. In Thursday's finale, Ryan Dempster threw into the ninth inning, had a career-high 12 strikeouts and singled in a run in the 4-0 win.
Derrek Lee highlighted a four-run fifth inning with a two-run double for Chicago, which is 6-1 on its current homestand and has captured 12 of its last 15 in the Windy City.
Chicago, which is in the midst of a 10-game homestand, is 17-7 at home this season.
Dempster (5-1), who worked the previous three years as the closer for the Cubs, allowed six hits and one walk. He was nearing his third career shutout, but was removed with one out in the ninth. Kerry Wood struck out the final two batters for his eighth save.
Aramis Ramirez had three of Chicago's 13 hits, while newly acquired Jim Edmonds went 1-for-4 in his Cubs' debut.
Alfonso Soriano has also shown signs of breaking out of his season-long slumber. In the four-game set with the Padres, Soriano was 8-for-19 with three home runs and six RBI.
Heading to the hill tonight for the Cubs will be right-hander Sean Gallagher, who will be making his second major league start. Gallagher gave up four runs and five hits in 4 1/3 innings on Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but did not factor in the decision of his team's 6-4 win.
Gallagher, who gave up an unearned run in a 1 1/3 inning relief stint last year, has pitched to a 6.48 earned run average in three games this season without recording a decision.
Pittsburgh will counter with left-hander Tom Gorzelanny, who has won his last two starts and after dropping three of his first four decisions. Gorzelanny defeated the Atlanta Braves on Saturday, as he surrendered two runs and seven hits in 7 1/3 innings, lifting his record to 3-3 on the year, while lowering his ERA to 5.97.
Gorzelanny was hammered for seven runs and six hits in just 2 2/3 innings in losing to the Cubs back on April 7, and is 2-3 lifetime against them with a 6.06 ERA in six starts.
Pittsburgh managed to win the rubber match of its three-game affair with the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday, as Jason Bay's three-run pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning lifted the Pirates to an 11-5 comeback win at Busch Stadium.
Freddy Sanchez and Jason Michaels drove in two runs each for the Pirates, who have won eight of their last 10. Doug Mientkiewicz and Chris Gomez each had three hits and three runs scored, while Nate McLouth homered and drew three walks.
John Grabow (3-1) picked up the win with two-thirds of an inning of scoreless relief, and the Pittsburgh bullpen combined to throw five shutout innings behind starter Ian Snell, who allowed five runs on 11 hits in four frames.
