Pittsburgh @ Chicago preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 9, 2012 ) Chi. Cubs 4, Pittsburgh 2

The Pittsburgh Pirates are running out of time to make their move back into wild card contention. The schedule keeps offering them a soft landing, but the Pirates have yet to accept. Pittsburgh will be looking to snap a six-game slide when they open a four-game series at the lowly Chicago Cubs on Friday. The Pirates have lost 16 of their last 21 games and were swept in a three-game set at home by the Cubs last week.

Only a slightly less drastic decline by the St. Louis Cardinals has kept Pittsburgh within shouting distance of the second wild card spot. The offense has been a big issue all season, and the Pirates are averaging 3.3 runs in their last 12 games - 2.3 during the current six-game slide. The Cubs, who rank 14th in the National League in ERA, held Pittsburgh to a total of seven runs last weekend. Chicago is enjoying a bit of a surge at the moment, with five wins in the last six games. The pitching staff has taken advantage of the weak lineups of the Pirates and Houston Astros to allow just 1.7 runs in that span.

TV: 2:20 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh), WGN (Chicago)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH James McDonald (12-7, 3.93 ERA) vs. Cubs LH Chris Rusin (0-2, 5.73)

McDonald has struggled over his last 11 starts, rocketing his ERA from 2.37 on July 7 to its current 3.93. The right-hander surrendered three runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings against the Cubs last Saturday. He struck out only two batters and did not factor in the decision. McDonald was tagged for five runs over six innings in a loss to Chicago on July 24 and has never beaten the Cubs in his career, going 0-2 with a 5.23 ERA in six games - five starts.

Rusin is getting a chance to prove he belongs in the majors and showed an ability to bounce back after a rough start. The 25-year-old lefty was knocked around for five runs and eight hits in just one inning at Washington on Sept. 4 but was a different pitcher against the Pirates last Sunday, yielding one run on five hits in five innings. Rusin has yet to earn a win in three major league starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Chicago LF Alfonso Soriano needs one home run and four RBIs to reach 30 and 100 for the first time since he was with the Texas Rangers in 2005.

2. Pirates 3B Pedro Alvarez is dealing with a sore right wrist that prevented him from playing on Wednesday. He is day-to-day.

3. Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo (right shoulder) was available on Wednesday but was not needed in a win over Houston. He could be back on Friday.