Will Cubs keep cruising in Arizona?
Chicago’s star-studded lineup lifted the team to its third straight victory last night, but the 14-6 result could have come at a major price.
Highly touted rookie Kyle Schwarber needed a cart to exit the field in the bottom of the second after colliding with Dexter Fowler in the outfield. The young slugger will not suit up for tonight’s 9:40 p.m. ET follow-up with the Diamondbacks, and no one seems to know the long-term ramifications at this juncture.
Oddsmakers nonetheless continue to adore Joe Maddon’s undefeated club. Online sports book Bovada.lv lists the Cubs as 1.5-run favorites in the second game of the series out West, with the over/under total at nine runs.
While Schwarber’s ankle injury sullied Chicago’s mood a bit, Thursday featured another round of heroics courtesy of a scorching offense. The Cubs have registered 29 runs, 14 extra-base hits and 17 walks in 27 innings thus far. They’re simply obliterating opposing pitchers, which probably makes Arizona hurler Robbie Ray the least popular option in all of fantasy baseball.
MLB Quick Links: Free Matchup Reports | Injuries | Odds Comparison | Scoreboard | Betting Trends
Ray, who went 5-12 with a 3.52 ERA in 2015, draws this evening’s assignment. His career ERA of 4.88 at Chase Field fails to inspire much confidence, but counterpart Jason Hammel represents one of Chicago’s few question marks at present. Hammel’s post-All-Star break ERA came in at 5.10, and he then got rocked in a pair of playoff appearances. Paul Goldschmidt and Jean Segura also have the Diamondbacks’ order humming to some extent, so we may not be talking about the usual cakewalk here.
FRIDAY MLB FREE PICK: DIAMONDBACKS +1.5
Want More From TheSpread.com? Follow on Twitter and Facebook or Subscribe to Our News Feeds!