Celebration-minded Cubs host Brewers
The Brewers haven’t exactly had a banner 2016. Last night, however, they did manage to keep the Cubs from popping champagne.
Milwaukee withstand a late rally to snag a 5-4 victory over its Central Division title-seeking adversaries. Even though Chicago technically took the crown by virtue of a St. Louis anyway, the performance was a stellar way to start a four-game series. The action continues this afternoon, with oddsmakers at online sports book Bovada.lv installing Joe Maddon’s crew as a 1.5-run favorite. Craig Counsell’s club represents a +135 underdog.
For the host squad, John Lackey makes his third start since an August stint on the disabled list. Most recently, he permitted two runs over six innings in a 2-1 defeat to Houston. In 10 career outings against Milwaukee, though, Lackey holds a 5-2 record with a 3.09 ERA.
His counterpart, Chase Anderson, is hopeful of continuing a rather strong string of appearances. Since July 30, he’s 4-1 with a 2.30 ERA. Anderson hasn’t missed a turn all season, either.
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It’s always difficult to get inside a team’s head one day after wrapping up a playoff spot. Maddon hasn’t deviated much from the expected script, sitting stars Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Ben Zobrist. Thus, expect the Brew Crew to stay close all the way through.
FRIDAY MLB FREE PICK: BREWERS +1.5