Chris Jordan
My Baseball free play for Monday is on the Under in the Chicago Cubs-San Francisco Giants contest in the Bay Area.
I'm not getting into this analysis too much, as it should be self-explanatory, given the starting pitchers.
Arrieta, last year’s NL Cy Young Award winner, fired a brilliant shutout in last year’s National League wild-card game, and now makes his 2016 postseason debut. He struggled in his final start this season, allowing seven runs, so he'll be eager to get things done tonight, hoping to lead the Cubs to a sweep of the Giants.
It won't be easy.
Bumgarner is hoping to continue his postseason dominance against a Cubs team he’s beaten twice this season - once in May and another time in September. The Giants’ ace twirled a brilliant shutout in the NL Wild Card Game versus the Mets last week, and he hasn’t allowed a run over his past 23 postseason innings.
Play this one low.
3* Cubs/Giants Under
Jeff Benton
Your Monday freebie is the Under in the Cubs-Giants contest.
No need to go into much detail here, as the pitching matchup of Jake Arrieta and Madison Bumgarner really says it all.
Arrieta comes into this game with a career 4-2 mark against the Giants, and an ERA of 1.82. He owns a season ERA of 3.10, and we all know that he is capable of keeping the Giants bats quiet for the full 9 innings.
Bumgarner? I am sure by now you know his credentials in the month of October, and he just threw a complete game shutout at the Mets last Wednesday night in the Wild Card contest.
Series numbers show the Under at 4-0-1 the last 5 times these teams have played one another.
Make it 5-0-1 after tonight.
4* CUBS-SAN FRANCISCO UNDER
Brad Wilton
Monday comp play release is the Indians and the Red Sox to slip Over the total.
No chance in my mind the Red Sox get skunked like they did on Friday night, as Boston was blanked 6-0 in Game Two.
The Red Sox now face the prospect of getting swepy out of the postseason, so expect them to put up a strong defense tonight when they face Josh Tomlin.
Both Tomlin, and Boston starter Clay Buchholz worked out of the bullpen for the better part of the season this year, and while both ended the regular season in their respective rotations pitching solidly, I can totally see a few runs being scored today at Fenway Park.
Cleveland has plated 11 runs in their 2 wins, so look for them to get their licks in against Buchholz.
Boston will do the same against Tomlin with their season on the line.
This one has the makings of at least 10 runs or more combined.
Play Game Three Over the total here on Monday.
2* CLEVELAND-BOSTON OVER
Jack Jones
San Francisco Giants -101
Few things are more certain in life than Madison Bumgarner winning a big playoff game for the Giants. I''ll back him and the Giants at a great price here at home against the Chicago Cubs as they try and stave off elimination in Game 3 tonight.
Bumgarner has pitched 23 scoreless innings in his last three win-or-go-home playoff games. He is 5-1 with a 0.88 ERA in eight contests over the past two postseasons. Bumgarner is also 8-2 with a 2.25 ERA in 12 career starts against Chicago. He has gone 2-0 with a 1.32 ERA in two starts against the Cubs in 2016.
Jake Arrieta has been just an average starter for second half of the season. He went 12-2 with a 2.10 ERA through June but split his final 12 decisions, going 2-3 with a 4.60 ERA in September alone.
The Cubs are 2-7 in their last nine playoff road games. The Cubs are 1-4 in their last five road games vs. a left-handed starter. The Giants are 6-1 in their last seven playoff home games. San Francisco is 14-3 in Bumgarner's last 17 home starts vs. a team with a winning record.