The set-up: After a 14-3 rout on Monday at Pittsburgh, the Cubs made made a single unearned run stand up in Tuesday's 1-0 victory, Chicago's first win without an RBI since July 2011. The Cubs have now won six of seven to reach 12-8 on the season and will look to complete a three-game sweep of the Pirates Wednesday night. Pittsburgh's hard-luck 1-0 loss came just hours after MLB commissioner Rob Manfred revealed that Pirates star center fielder Starling Marte declined to appeal last week's 80-game suspension. Since a three-game sweep of the Cubs in Chicago, Pittsburgh has dropped six of its last eight games and now sit at 8-12.

The pitching matchup: Jon Lester (0-0 & 2.66 ERA) takes the mound for Chicago and will be opposed by the Pirates' Tyler Glasnow (0-1 & 7.94 ERA). Lester looks to bounce back from his worst outing of 2017, after he surrendered five runs on a season-high nine hits over 5 2/3 innings at Cincinnati last Friday. He had permitted only two runs on 14 hits over his first three starts but with Chicago scoring only seven runs in that span, he had yet to earn a decision. Lester was 2-1 with a 3.80 ERA in four starts against Pittsburgh last season and is 4-3 with a 2.35 ERA in nine career starts against the Pirates (teams are 4-5). Glasnow will be making his 11th career appearance and eighth start and is still looking for his first career win. He lasted only 4 2/3 innings at the New York Mets on Friday, giving up three runs (one earned) on seven hits, after allowing four first-inning runs and six overall at Chicago in his previous outing. The Pirates won his start against the Cubs 8-7 back on April 15 but no thanks to his 7.20 ERA.

The pick: Lester looks for his first win of 2017 (this is his fifth start) but as noted, Glasnow is making his eighth start and is still looking for that initial MLB win, However, he has yet to pitch beyond 5 1/3 innings in his career and comes into this game with a 7.94 ERA and 2.29 WHIP, along with a .315 BAA in three previous 2017 starts. Make the Cubs an 8* play.