Braxton Ashcraft Has One Thing on His Mind: Pittsburgh's Shot at Actually Beating the Cubs Matters

The Pittsburgh Pirates got themselves a win on Friday night at Wrigley Field, and now they're looking to do something they barely did all of last season: take a series from the Chicago Cubs. This is not a drill. Pittsburgh went 3-10 against Chicago in 2025 and lost every single series against their National League Central rival. But two weeks into 2026, the Pirates feel different, and they're gunning for back-to-back wins on Saturday afternoon.

Ashcraft Is Rolling, and the Cubs Better Be Ready

Braxton Ashcraft takes the mound for Pittsburgh on Saturday, and the 26-year-old right-hander is coming in hot. The guy is 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA and has strung together two straight quality starts to open his second big league season. On March 30, he went six innings against Cincinnati, allowing two runs in a loss. Then on Sunday, he was even better against Baltimore, giving up just one run with eight strikeouts across six frames in an 8-2 win.

"As a starting pitcher, you're trying to go six, seven innings every time you go out there," Ashcraft said. "Being able to get the ball on the ground or get weak contact is the most important piece of that. Strikeouts come when they come, but if you're searching for strikeouts, that's when the pitch count can get up there a little bit."

Ashcraft did face the Cubs three times last season (two starts), going 0-1 with a 3.27 ERA. So there's a little extra juice here.

Chicago's Bats Are Struggling Bad Right Now

The Cubs were blanked on Friday, going 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranding 11 men on base. That's brutal baseball, and it all came courtesy of Bryan Reynolds' two-run homer in the seventh for Pittsburgh. The biggest name in Chicago's lineup who's ice cold? Dansby Swanson went 0-for-3 on Friday and is hitting just .140 on the season. That's not what the Cubs signed up for.

"We've got a couple guys that are not feeling it right now at the plate," Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. "That's the nature of offense today, and it gets a little magnified at the start of the season. Dansby is going to be streaky, and we're going to need production there. He'll get going."

Chicago counters with Edward Cabrera on Saturday, an offseason pickup from Miami who is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA through two appearances. Cabrera threw 11 and two-thirds scoreless innings so far and is 0-1 with a 2.35 ERA in two career starts against Pittsburgh. The guy is loving the energy at Wrigley after years in Miami.

"The emotions definitely are different," Cabrera said. "Let's be real: There is a big difference between the fan bases and the number of fans we had in Miami."

Pirates manager Don Kelly has momentum on his side after taking over last season. "We've talked about it a lot, just taking it one game and one series at a time," Kelly said Friday. "Any win you can get in Chicago against the Cubs at Wrigley is a special one."

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.