Cubs take aim at hapless Diamondbacks
It took the Cubs a bit to put the clamps on the Diamondbacks in yesterday’s series opener. The end result, though: yet another celebration for the Wrigley Field faithful.
Chicago (38-15) used a five-run outburst in the eighth to topple Arizona, 6-0, improving to 21-7 at home. Javier Baez and Addison Russell smacked two-run doubles during the climactic inning, while offseason acquisition John Lackey upped his mark to 6-2.
Jason Hammel tries to keep the party going this afternoon, with a 2:20 p.m. ET first pitch at the Friendly Confines. Oddsmakers at online sports book Bovada.lv remain loyal to Joe Maddon’s club. The D-backs, on the other hand, enter as +245 underdogs.
After being forced out of his most recent outing against the Dodgers because of hamstring tenderness, Hammel (6-1, 2.09 ERA) has plenty of motivation to come out swinging. The righty is 2-0 with a 1.83 ERA in his own backyard this year, not to mention 1-1 with a 2.33 ERA and 0.89 WHIP in the past four matchups vs. Arizona. He’ll be opposed by Edwin Escobar (0-1, 18.90), whose first MLB start occurred early in the week.
MLB Quick Links: Free Matchup Reports | Injuries | Odds Comparison | Scoreboard | Betting Trends
The Diamondbacks (24-33) have dropped four straight in the Windy City. Injuries to Shelby Miller and Rubby De La Rosa are threatening to undo the rotation, so Chip Hale’s offense must rise to the occasion in the interim. With Hammel providing the resistance, however, we’re not seeing a bright side.
SATURDAY MLB FREE PICK: DIAMONDBACKS/CUBS OVER 8.5 RUNS
Want More Picks, Predictions & Odds From The Spread.com? Follow on Twitter and Facebook or Subscribe to Our News Feeds!