Arrieta to pitch Cubs past Pirates yet again?
The Cubs didn’t necessarily need a huge confidence boost following a rare doubleheader sweep. Battering one of the game’s best lefties, though, put the Central Division leaders right back in that authoritative mindset.
Chicago aims for a second straight win over Pittsburgh in this afternoon’s middle contest of a three-game set, with a 2:20 p.m. ET first pitch at Wrigley Field. Oddsmakers at online sports book Bovada.lv list the host squad as a 1.5-run favorite. The Pirates, meanwhile, enter the fray as +235 underdogs.
Joe Maddon’s bats bludgeoned longtime nemesis Francisco Liriano early and often yesterday. The southpaw departed after four-plus innings, having surrendered eight runs and nine hits. Anthony Rizzo inflicted a fair amount of the damage, upping his OPS to 1.024 with a clutch double in the fifth.
The first baseman also enjoys facing Clint Hurdle’s hurler here. Rizzo’s 7 for 20 with three homers and two doubles against Jeff Locke, who comes in a bit of a roll. The veteran boasts three consecutive quality starts. He limited hot-hitting St. Louis to three runs and four hits over the weekend.
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On paper, however, Locke pales in comparison to the Cubbies’ Jake Arrieta. The reigning National League Cy Young victor is an astounding 17-0 with a 0.76 ERA in 20 regular-season turns since last falling on July 25. His past five games against the Buccos – 4-0 with a 0.24 ERA – have been even better.
Arrieta actually looked mortal in Sunday’s win over Washington, allowing three runs across five frames. Yet he’s all but guaranteed to bounce back vs. a Pittsburgh lineup that simply cannot solve his repertoire. Bank on Chicago to claim its seven straight in the series.
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