Lester, Cubs shoot to steamroll A’s
Joe Maddon’s Cubs have possessed baseball’s best record for the majority of the campaign. In the last week, though, they’ve started to scale even more absurd heights.
It’s a scary proposition for the rest of the competition, including the crestfallen Athletics. The two teams collide tonight, with a 10:05 p.m. ET first pitch in Oakland. Handicappers at online sports book Bovada.lv lean toward the visitors. Bob Melvin’s bunch, on the other hand, is a +185 underdog.
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Chicago’s truly beginning to turn the NL Central into a cakewalk. Seven victories in an eight-day span, of course, will do that for a squad. Jon Lester (11-4, 2.95 ERA) relishes the task of continuing that momentum in a few hours. The southpaw holds a 22-16 record with a 1.11 WHIP since joining the North Siders in 2015.
The A’s respond by sending Dillon Overton (1-2, 9.33) to the mound. With only 18 1/3 MLB innings under his belt, the 24-year-old ostensibly cuts a less-than-imposing figure. Then again, the idea of leaning on a bullpen that carries a 3.95 ERA probably seems unappealing to Melvin as well.
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With a couple of months left in the regular season, the Cubbies are, astoundingly, picking up steam. Look for them to extend that nine-game division lead this evening. We’re not referring to a remotely close series opener, either.
FRIDAY MLB FREE PICK: CUBS -1.5