(Best E Casino) - After a big sweep of one division rival earlier in the week, perhaps the Cubs were looking past the Pirates. Pittsburgh now has Chicago's attention and the two clubs resume a three-game series this afternoon at Wrigley Field.
Chicago entered this series on a five-game winning streak that included a four-game sweep of Milwaukee, increasing the Cubs' edge over the Brewers and the St. Louis Cardinals by five games in the National League Central. However, Chicago's hot bats were silenced by Jeff Karstens in Friday's opener, as the Cubs fell in defeat, 3-0, trimming their edge in the division to four games.
Aramis Ramirez went 2-for-3 for the Cubs, who lost the opener of a nine-game homestand and fell to a still NL-best 39-15 as the host. Jason Marquis (6-7) lost after allowing three runs on eight hits in six frames.
Karstens (1-0), acquired from the Yankees last week in the trade that sent Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte to New York, allowed just five hits and four walks while striking out two to earn his first win since September 22, 2007. John Grabow earned his first save of the season for the Pirates, winners in three of their last four overall.
Jason Michaels homered and drove in two runs for Pittsburgh, while Jack Wilson went 3-for-4 with a run batted in. Andy LaRoche, picked up from Los Angeles on Wednesday as part of the trade that sent Jason Bay to Boston and Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers, was 1-for-4 and scored a run in his Pittsburgh debut. Also part of that deal, Brandon Moss started in right field and went 0-for-3 with a walk.
Pittsburgh second baseman Freddy Sanchez missed his fourth straight game due to lower back spasms.
The Pirates send Paul Maholm to the hill for today's test and the left-hander has allowed two runs or less in five of his last six starts, going 2-1 in that span. He allowed just a single run for the second straight outing on Sunday, but got a no-decision in his team's 3-1 loss to San Diego. On the season, Maholm is 7-6 with a 3.79 earned run average.
Despite a 6.15 ERA in seven career starts versus the Cubs, Maholm holds a 4-0 mark against the club. He is 3-0 with a 6.86 ERA in four starts at Wrigley Field.
Alfonso Soriano and Aramis Ramirez are a combined .387 (12-for-31) lifetime versus the 26-year-old Maholm with five homers and 11 RBI.
Ted Lilly counters for the Cubs and has gone six innings and allowed three runs in each of his last two starts. On the year, the lefty is 10-6 with a 4.49 ERA.
Lilly has faced the Pirates twice this season, posting an 8.38 ERA without a decision. Luis Rivas, currently starting in place of the injured Sanchez, has homered twice off of Lilly this season.
The 32-year-old Lilly is 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA in seven games, including five starts, lifetime versus Pittsburgh.
Chicago is 9-4 against Pittsburgh this year and has won 12 of its last 16 versus the Pirates. The Cubs have also won nine of their last 13 versus the Bucs at home.
