CHICAGO CUBS (17-6)

at PITTSBURGH PIRATES (15-10)

First pitch: Monday, 7:00 p.m. ET
Line: Chicago +106, Pittsburgh -116, Total: 7.0

Jason Hammel and the league-best Cubs take on Gerrit Cole and the division-rival Pirates in a classic pitchers’ duel.

The Cubs (17-6) come into the series opener with the Pirates (15-10) with the best record in the major leagues. Leading the National League Central, Joe Maddon’s squad is three games ahead of the second-place Pirates, who had won eight of nine before losing to the Reds on Sunday. Pitching for Chicago will be RHP Jason Hammel (3-0, 0.75 ERA, 22 SO, 9 BB, 0 HR in 24 IP), who has been nothing short of brilliant over his first four starts. He’ll be opposed by Pirates RHP Gerrit Cole (2-2, 2.78 ERA, 19 SO, 6 BB in 22 2/3 innings). As good as these starting pitchers are—and they’re very, very good—they’ll be put to the test. Chicago (139) and Pittsburgh (133) are second and third, respectively, in runs scored in the National League. Clint Hurdle’s club will make pitchers work, as the Pirates lead the NL in average (.290) and on-base percentage (.375). The Cubs are second in the league in OBP (.359). This will be the first meeting of the season between the two rivals. The Pirates have played well at PNC Park in 2016 (7-4), and the Cubs have been dominant away from Wrigley Field (10-3).

What a first month of the season it was for CF Dexter Fowler (.350, 3 HR, 15 RBI, .470 OBP). The 30-year-old has set the table beautifully for Chicago’s bit hitters. Speaking of big hitters, 3B Kris Bryant (.287, 4 HR, 16 RBI, .374 OBP) is day-to-day with a mild right ankle sprain. 1B Anthony Rizzo (.220, 8 HR, 24 RBI, .385 OBP) hasn’t had a ton of hits, but he’s made them count and has been an RBI machine. RF Jason Heyward (.211, 0 HR, 13 RBI, .317 OBP) continues to struggle with the bat in his first season in the Windy City. Rizzo has had a ton of success against Cole, going 6-for-17 with a homer and an RBI, but Heyward (3-for-15 with 1 2B, 1 RBI and 4 BB) and Fowler (3-for-14) haven’t seen the ball as well against the All-Star. In 11 career starts against the Pirates, Hammel is 5-4 with a 3.99 ERA and a 1.148 WHIP.

The Bucs just continue to hit. They have an incredible six regulars—LF Starling Marte (.327, 3 HR, 13 RBI, .375 OBP), 2B Josh Harrison (.326, 1 HR, 15 RBI, .359 OBP), C Francisco Cervelli (.321, 0 HR, 12 RBI, .438 OBP), RF Gregory Polanco (.315, 3 HR, 15 RBI, .422 OBP), 1B John Jaso (.306, 2 HR, 8 RBI, .375 OBP) and SS Jordy Mercer (.303, 1 HR, 13 RBI, .385 OBP)—currently batting over .300, and Andrew McCutchen (.227, 5 HR, 10 RBI, .342 OBP) isn’t even one of them. McCutchen might be coming out of his early-season slump, as the former NL MVP hit three homers in Pittsburgh’s win over the Rockies last week. McCutchen has hit Hammel well, going 9-for-30 with a pair of homers and two doubles. Cervelli only has 10 at-bats against the 33-year-old, but has five hits, including a double. Mercer (4-for-17) and Polanco (3-for-11) have each homered off the veteran. Cole has had tremendous success against the Cubs since debuting in 2013. In 10 career starts, he’s gone 7-2 with a 3.23 ERA and a 1.125 WHIP.