Baseball fans are in for a treat later tonight as we’ve served up a pair of key Game 3 encounters that will definitely whet your sporting appetite. Kicking things off today is the much-anticipated showdown between the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers in their National League Division Series. Then, the Chicago Cubs square off with the St. Louis Cardinals on the other side of the NLDS’ picture.
Read on below for a quick breakdown of these two pivotal playoff games and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of Game 4 of the ALDS between Kansas City and Houston.
[sc:MLBArticles ]St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs (6:07 PM ET)
Line: St. Louis Cardinals (+210) at Chicago Cubs (-250) – view all MLB lines
The Chicago Cubs knotted their National League Division Series with the St. Louis Cardinals at a game apiece with a thrilling 6-3 win in Game 2 on Saturday. The Cubs will look to grab the critical 2-1 series lead later tonight when they host the Cards at Wrigley Field for Game 3, the first playoff game at the friendly confines since 2008.
[sc:MLB240banner ]Pitching for the Cubs in this all-important contest is Jake Arrieta (22-6, 1.77 ERA). Dating back to a four-hit shutout against the Minnesota Twins on June 21, Arrieta is 17-1 with a miniscule 0.81 ERA in his last 21 starts. He showed his worth in the NL Wild Card game, throwing a five-hit shutout against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cubs will fancy their chances of locking up the win tonight as Arrieta hasn’t lost at home since July 25.
The Cards, on the other hand, will line up Michael Wacha (17-7, 3.38 ERA) as their starter tonight. He has struggled mightily of late, posting a whopping 7.88 ERA in his five September starts. His last outing, on September 30 against the Pirates, saw him give up six earned runs over four innings.
The Cubs are 4-2 in their last six home games against the Cardinals.
Writer’s Prediction
Chicago wins, 6-1.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Mets (8:37 PM ET)
Line: Los Angeles Dodgers (+165) at New York Mets (-185); total: 6.5 – view all MLB lines
The Los Angeles Dodgers will head to the Big Apple with momentum on their side after recording a gutsy 5-2 victory over the New York Mets in Game 2 of their National League Division Series this past Saturday. The Dodgers scored four runs in a tumultuous seventh inning to record the comeback win and even the series at a game apiece.
Starting for the Dodgers in Game 3 is Brett Anderson (10-9, 3.69 ERA). The southpaw will be making his first career start against the Mets. Handling his largest workload since 2009, Anderson limped to the finish line this season, posting a 4.74 ERA over his final 11 outings. The Dodgers are 1-3 in Anderson’s last four starts.
The Mets, on the other hand, will counter with Matt Harvey (13-8, 2.71 ERA). He finished the regular season in style, yielding a 1.04 ERA with 24 strikeouts against only one walk in his final 17.2 innings. Harvey will have his hands full, though, against a Dodgers’ starting lineup that has a combined .296 average lifetime off him.
The Mets are 2-2 against the Dodgers at home this season.
Writer’s Prediction
The Mets win, 4-2. Create a betting account now and bet on the best games for tonight.
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