Scalding-hot Cubs travel to Rockies
Having just swept Milwaukee, the Cubs are 34 games above .500. Talk about bad timing for Colorado.
The Rockies host the class of Major League Baseball tonight, with an 8:40 p.m. ET first pitch at Coors Field. Oddsmakers at online sports book Bovada.lv list Chicago as a 1.5-run favorite, whereas Walt Weiss’ troops represent +125 underdogs. The over/under run figure sits at 10.
Normally, the mere mention of a trip to the Mile High City is enough to send a non-NL West squad scurrying. The Cubbies, of course, don’t scare easily. They’ve gone 14-2 so far this month, obliterating quality opponents like Miami and St. Louis.
What’s more, Joe Maddon gets to hand the ball to Kyle Hendricks (11-7, 2.19 ERA) in a few hours. The righty boasts a 3.43 ERA away from the Friendly Confines in 2016. Most recently, he limited the Cardinals to two runs and five hits across seven innings.
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Meanwhile, Weiss rolls with rookie Tyler Anderson (4-4, 3.42). The 26-year-old lefty has worked at least six frames in eight of his past nine outings. He’s proven adept at handling the high altitude, too, as evidenced by that 3.04 ERA over the course of eight assignments in the Centennial State.
We’re curious to see how Anderson fares against an elite foe. If he fails to keep Kris Bryant in check, things could spiral out of control in a hurry. The third baseman went 5-for-5 in Chicago’s series finale vs. the Brewers, raising his batting average to .296. He’s clearly capable of summoning up yet another Herculean effort here.
FRIDAY MLB FREE PICK: CUBS -1.5