Pirates Look to Bounce Back After Wrigley Heartbreaker

The Pirates stumble into Sunday's series finale at Wrigley still licking their wounds from Saturday's 4-3 gut-punch. That's the kind of one-run loss that lingers, especially when you're playing October spoiler against a Cubs squad that's been scrapping for every edge in a tight division race.

Chicago's got the home crowd momentum now, and Wrigley in September is a different beast entirely when the bleacher faithful smell postseason baseball. The Pirates showed they can hang—they pushed the Cubs to the brink yesterday—but moral victories don't pay the bills in this business. Pittsburgh's lineup needs to find a way to manufacture more than three runs against a Cubs pitching staff that's been stingy lately when it matters.

The Cubs, meanwhile, are playing with house money and desperation in equal measure. Every win matters, and they just snatched one from a Pirates team that's been frisky enough to be dangerous. Expect Chicago to lean on whatever bullpen arms looked sharp Saturday and ride them hard if this one stays close.

DarkHorse hasn't dropped a pick yet for Sunday's rubber match, so we're flying blind on the official call. But after dropping a winnable game, the Pirates need to prove yesterday wasn't just fool's gold. The Cubs won't make it easy.