Anderson set to start home opener for Pittsburgh against Chicago

Chicago Cubs (3-3) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (1-5)

Pittsburgh; Thursday, 1:35 p.m. EDT

PITCHING PROBABLES: Cubs: Jake Arrieta (1-0, 1.50 ERA) Pirates: Tyler Anderson (0-1, 5.40 ERA)

LINE: Cubs favored by 1 1/2 runs; over/under is 8 1/2 runs

BOTTOM LINE: Pittsburgh hosts Chicago for the 2021 home opener.

The Pirates went 16-24 in division games in 2020. Pittsburgh averaged 7.1 hits with 2.4 extra base hits per game and 59 total home runs last season.

The Cubs went 22-18 in division games in 2020. Chicago hit .220 as a team with 2.7 extra base hits per game and 82 total doubles last season.

The teams meet for the third time this year. Chicago leads the season series 2-1.

INJURIES: Pirates: Jose Soriano: (elbow), Cody Ponce: (forearm), Austin Davis: (elbow), Blake Cederlind: (elbow), Steven Brault: (lat strain), Ke'Bryan Hayes: (wrist).

Cubs: Rowan Wick: (oblique), Jonathan Holder: (shoulder), Austin Romine: (knee).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.