Looking for some intense baseball action? Well tonight’s your lucky night as we’ve got two high-quality ballgames that will definitely tickle your sporting fancy. Opening proceedings this evening is the NL Central showdown between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Chicago Cubs.
Then, the Los Angeles Angels lock horns with the Cleveland Indians in a marquee American League matchup. Read on below for a quick breakdown of these two important ballgames and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the game between the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers.
[sc:MLBArticles ]Chicago Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (7:00 PM ET)
Line: Chicago Cubs (+120) at Pittsburgh Pirates (-130); total: 6.5 – view all MLB lines
The Chicago Cubs extended their winning streak to five games with a 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday. The Cubs (57-47) are now 10 games over .500 for the first time since the 2008 season. More importantly for manager Joe Maddon, the Cubs pulled even with the San Francisco Giants in the race for the final NL wild-card spot.
[sc:MLB240banner ]The Cubs will look to stretch their unbeaten run later tonight when they take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. Starting for the Cubs this evening is Jon Lester (6-8, 3.26 ERA). He struck out a season-high 14 batters in his last start against the Rockies on Wednesday, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk over eight innings. The Cubs are 2-1 in Lester’s last three starts.
The Pirates, on the other hand, will counter with Francisco Liriano (7-6, 2.92 ERA). The Bucs have won their last six games with Liriano as their starter. He was solid in his last start on July 29, allowing just three runs on 10 hits in 5.2 innings of action in Pittsburgh’s 10-4 victory over Minnesota. The left-hander is 3-0 with a 2.03 ERA over his last five outings.
The Bucs are 6-4 in their last 10 home games against the Cubs.
Click here for an in-depth preview of this game.
Writer’s Prediction
Chicago wins, 5-3.
Cleveland Indians vs. Los Angeles Angels (10:05 PM ET)
Line: Cleveland Indians (+105) at Los Angeles Angels (-115); total: 6.5 – view all MLB lines
The Los Angeles Angels stumbled to their sixth consecutive defeat with a gut-wrenching 5-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday. The Angels finished their road trip with a woeful 0-6 record, the first time they have gone winless on a trip of six or more games since 1999. The Halos will look to get their season back in order when they take on the struggling Cleveland Indians tonight.
Starting for the Angels this evening is Garrett Richards (10-8, 3.38 ERA). Richards surrendered four runs on seven hits in 6.1 innings in his last start against the Astros on Wednesday. The Angels have now lost three of their last four games with Richards as their starting pitcher.
The Indians, on the other hand, will counter with ace Corey Kluber (6-11, 3.44 ERA). The Indians are 4-2 in Kluber’s last six starts. He was phenomenal in his last outing, allowing just one run on five hits in Cleveland’s 12-1 rout of Kansas City on July 29. He struck out six and walked one in that complete-game victory.
The Angels are 3-0 in their last three home games against the Indians.
Writer’s Prediction
The Angels win, 6-5, to end their six-game losing rut. Create a betting account now and bet on the best games for tonight.
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