Cubs Pitcher Colin Rea Aims for Series Win Against Pirates

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Chicago Cubs pitcher Colin Rea will look to lead his team to victory on Sunday when they face the Pittsburgh Pirates in the final game of a four-game series at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs are trying to secure a series win after claiming a 2-1 victory against the Pirates on Saturday. The tight match highlighted Chicago’s strong pitching, which has allowed only five runs across the past three games.

"You expect to play close games," Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. "We’re not going to play 8-3 games every day. But the pitching, the bullpen, the defense, you count on all of those things to win."

Dansby Swanson‘s solo home run in the sixth inning helped clinch Saturday’s win for the Cubs. He has 13 home runs this season, trailing only teammates Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki.

Rea, who has a record of 4-2 and a 3.92 ERA this season, is looking to bounce back after an outing against the Philadelphia Phillies, where he allowed four earned runs in 4 1/3 innings. Despite this setback, he previously had a successful game against the Pirates on May 1, pitching six innings with two earned runs.

On the opposing side, the Pirates, who are struggling offensively with a .227 batting average, are calling upon Mitch Keller to take the mound. Keller, with a record of 1-9 and 4.15 ERA, has shown resilience in recent games despite a lack of run support.

"It’s tough because he’s pitched well enough to win some ballgames," Pirates interim manager Don Kelly said. "He’s done a great job to give us a chance to win, and unfortunately, there have been times that we haven’t been able to come through for him."

The matchup is critical for both teams as the Cubs aim to improve their standings while the Pirates look for a much-needed boost to their season.