Rockies Host Cubs
Last year, the Colorado Rockies surprised many by reaching the World Series in just their 15th season in existence.
The Chicago Cubs, on the verge of franchise win No. 10,000, haven’t made it that far since 1945.
The Cubs look to make history and take advantage of the defending NL champs’ slump when they open a two-game set at Coors Field on Wednesday.
Oddsmakers from Sportsbook.com have made Colorado -106 money line favorites (MLB Odds) for tonight’s game, the over/under has been set at 10 total runs (Matchup). Current public betting information shows that 80% of bets for this game have been placed on Chicago –104 (View MLB Bet Percentages). Bet this game.
Chicago (14-6) is off to its best 20-game start since 1975, and it goes into Coors Field having won five straight, including an 8-1 win on Tuesday over the New York Mets. The win was the Cubs’ 9,999th in franchise history.
"You’d think there would be a World Series or something like that with as many wins as they’ve won," Chicago’s Daryle Ward told the Cubs’ official Web site. "It’s hard to explain it."
The San Francisco Giants’ franchise is the only other one to win 10,000 games.
The Cubs, who have outscored their opponents 44-11 in the last five games, recorded 14 hits on Tuesday. Ronny Cedeno hit an eighth-inning grand slam and Kosuke Fukudome went 3-for-3 and scored twice.
Cedeno was starting his second straight game at shortstop in place of Ryan Theriot, who was out with a bad back. Cedeno also drove in a run in the fourth on a double.
Cedeno, who is hitting .345 in 13 games this season, has driven in 10 runs the last four games, but despite his contribution and the Cubs’ fast start, manager Lou Piniella said he doesn’t want to hear any more talk about the World Series.
On Monday, Cedeno said the Cubs were "thinking about the World Series."
"As long as he doesn’t talk ‘World Series,’ I’m happy," Piniella said.
The Cubs look to hand the defending NL champs their fourth straight loss. Colorado (9-11) blew leads in each game while being swept in a two-game series by the Phillies, including an 8-6 loss on Tuesday.
"We have to play better," Todd Helton said. "We have to do some things, little things that help you win baseball games. We’re not doing those right now."
Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who is mired in a 1-for-17 slump that has dropped his average to .163, was replaced in the starting lineup by Clint Barnes on Tuesday. It’s uncertain whether he’ll be back in the lineup on Wednesday.
"Anytime you’re not playing it bothers you, so it bothered me," Tulowitzki said. "But at the same time I understood it."
Tulowitzki has only three at-bats against Rich Hill (1-0, 3.86 ERA), who takes the mound Wednesday for the Cubs, looking to build off his first win of the year. The left-hander allowed one run and three hits in five innings of a 3-2 win over the Pirates on Friday.
Hill had lasted just three innings in his previous start, which was also against Pittsburgh. He is 0-2 with an 11.32 ERA in two career starts against the Rockies – both at Coors Field.
Franklin Morales (1-1, 6.60) counters for the Rockies. The southpaw allowed four runs and five hits in five innings on Friday for his first win, 11-5 over Houston.
Morales had given up seven runs in his previous start. This will be his first time facing the Cubs.
Chicago was 5-2 against the Rockies last season. The teams split their four games at Coors Field.