Lackey leads Cubs into big bout with Reds
John Lackey wasn’t particularly sharp in his Chicago debut last week. The veteran righty aspires to fare much better tonight against a division rival that suddenly looks legitimately scary.
The Cubs and Reds square off in the second contest of a three-game set at 8:05 p.m. ET. According to online sports book BetDSI, Wrigley Field’s finest embody 1.5-run favorites to build on Monday’s 5-3 victory. The over/under total sits at 7.5 runs.
Chicago’s new No. 3 hurler twirled six innings of six-run ball to beat the Diamondbacks in the season’s second series, but the offense performed the heavy lifting in that 14-6 triumph. Lackey has been known to flummox Cincinnati, though, going 3-2 with a 2.75 ERA in nine career outings. Second baseman Brandon Phillips (5 for 27), right fielder Jay Bruce (5 for 23) and catcher Devin Mesoraco (1 for 10) are particularly bothered by the two-time World Series champion.
Still, there’s something profoundly different about Bryan Price’s 2016 crew. Cincy (5-2) temporarily ceded its share of the NL Central lead with Monday’s loss. Even so, Brandon Finnegan took a no-hitter into the seventh frame, extending the starting corps’ recent run of quality performances.
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Alfredo Simon, who opened the year with a no-decision in Pittsburgh, is entrusted with maintaining the pace this evening. He’s 3-0 with a 1.10 ERA in five appearances vs. the Cubs. Nonetheless, the hosts hunger for their fifth straight win over the Reds. Ben Zobrist and Dexter Fowler’s continued prowess at the plate, coupled with Lackey’s motivation to come out dealing, should do the trick.
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