Lester leads Cubs into battle against Phils
With a career mark of 133-82 and a pair of world championships, Jon Lester has no shortage of accomplishments to point out. Whenever he faces the Phillies, though, it feels as if we could see something more spectacular than usual.
The Chicago lefty draws one of his favorite foes in tonight’s series opener, with a 7:05 p.m. ET first pitch at Citizens Bank Park. Oddsmakers at online sports book Bovada.lv lean toward Joe Maddon’s group as a 1.5-run favorite. Conversely, Philadelphia enters as a +235 underdog. The over/under run figure is 8.5.
Lester (6-3, 2.29 ERA) aims to get the MLB-best Cubs back on track following yesterday’s 3-2 defeat to hapless Arizona. If he resembles the guy who fanned 10 in last week’s 2-1 triumph over the Dodgers, that shouldn’t be a problem. The veteran tossed a four-hitter on that occasion, completing nine innings for the first time since Sept. 15
Besides, subduing the Phils seems second-nature for Lester. He’s 5-0 with a 1.71 ERA in seven meetings vs. Pete Mackanin’s bunch. Additionally, Philly has dropped eight of 10. Before securing an 8-1 rout of Milwaukee, the fourth-place club had batted .197 with 21 runs in its previous nine contests.
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Can hurler Adam Morgan (1-4, 7.07) exceed expectations this evening? The second-year pro yielded six runs to the Cubs on May 27 and carries a 9.61 ERA in his past four assignments. Those numbers won’t hold up against a craftsman of Lester’s caliber. Bank on Chicago to up that road record to 18-8.
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