Chicago @ Pittsburgh preview

Chi. Cubs at Pittsburgh

Last Meeting ( Sep 26, 2016 ) Chi. Cubs 12, Pittsburgh 2

There isn’t much left for the Chicago Cubs to accomplish in this regular season. The Cubs already have wrapped up the best record in the National League and their first 100-win season since 1935, and they’ll try to stay sharp with the postseason looming when they continue a four-game road series against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday.

The Cubs cruised to win No. 100 in Monday’s series opener, routing the Pirates 12-2 behind Javier Baez’s grand slam and Kris Bryant’s 39th home run. Chicago has outscored Pittsburgh 103-60 while claiming 13 of their 16 meetings this season. Pittsburgh is limping to the finish, having lost three straight and four of its last five to drop two games below .500 and five games out of the second NL wild-card spot with six to play. Pirates veteran Ryan Vogelsong takes the mound Tuesday in search of his first win of the season at PNC Park, where he is 0-4 with a 4.96 ERA in nine games (six starts).

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, CSN Chicago, ROOT (Pittsburgh)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH John Lackey (10-8, 3.39 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Ryan Vogelsong (3-6, 4.85)

Lackey held Cincinnati to two runs and five hits over seven innings Wednesday to record his first win since Aug. 9. The 37-year-old has been solid in four turns since returning from the disabled list, going 1-1 with a 3.24 ERA. Lackey is 1-2 with a 3.69 ERA in six career starts against Pittsburgh.

Vogelsong has not survived the fifth inning in any of his four starts this month, going 0-2 with a 9.18 ERA. The 39-year-old’s most recent outing was his best during that stretch, as he limited Milwaukee to two runs and two hits over four frames but still took the loss. Vogelsong is 5-8 with a 5.82 ERA in 21 games (13 starts) against the Cubs, whom he hasn’t beaten since 2013.

WALK-OFFS

1. Chicago C/OF Willson Contreras is 9-for-22 with two homers during his seven-game hitting streak, matching the longest run of the rookie’s career.

2. Pirates 3B/1B David Freese, who belted a pinch-hit home run on Monday, is 10-for-24 in his last eight home games.

3. Cubs CF Dexter Fowler, who received a day off Monday, is three hits shy of 1,000 for his career.

PREDICTION: Cubs 7, Pirates 5