CHICAGO -- Tonight the Pirates will get a big test when they take on Jake Arrieta and the Cubs in what could be a preview of the Wild Card game. This will be the second time they've faced Arrieta recently, with the other time being on September 16th, when Arrieta went eight innings against them.
If the two teams meet in the Wild Card game, this will mean that the Pirates will play Arrieta three times in the span of a little over three weeks. As David Todd has been noting the last few days, this could potentially be unwise for the Cubs to start their ace tonight, as it could give the Pirates an advantage in the Wild Card game.