Who wins Pirates-Cubs wild-card rematch?
Improbably, one National League pitcher can actually argue that he’s off to a better start than Jake Arrieta. That man, predictably, also dons the uniform of the best team in the majors.
Chicago’s other star righty in the early portion of the season, Jason Hammel, takes the hill in tonight’s series opener with Pittsburgh. Online sports book BetDSI, however, lists the host squad as a 1.5-run favorite. The over/under total holds steady at seven runs.
Oddsmakers have their reasons for snubbing Hammel and his MLB-low 0.75 ERA. After all, Clint Hurdle’s crew boasts victories in six of the past seven games. Then there’s the Gerrit Cole (2-2, 2.78 ERA) factor. The Pirates’ ace will stride to the mound at 7:05 p.m. ET in search of his eighth career triumph against the North Siders. He won his second straight assignment Tuesday by allowing just two earned runs at Coors Field.
Hammel cares little about the venue – he’s prevailing everywhere so far. Most recently, he fanned seven in six innings of a 9-0 rout at Cincinnati. The 33-year-old went 1-2 with a 4.35 ERA in four 2015 turns vs. the Buccos.
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These two National League Central nemeses last met in the wild-card showdown on Oct. 7. Arrieta twirled a five-hitter that evening to crush Pittsburgh’s playoff hopes. While recognizing that the Pirates (15-10) crave retribution in the worst way, we’re skeptical about placing an exact value on heightened emotional stakes. An undisputable truth: Chicago (17-6) hasn’t suffered back-to-back defeats yet. Why start now?
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