A lot is riding on the primetime MLB showdown between Chicago and Arizona tonight. Cubs starter Jon Lester attempts to extend his impressive win streak this month. But the Diamondbacks won’t be easy outs, and are coming into this contest as winners of four straight. Think the Cubs’ prized ace paces the team to victory? Read on as we breakdown this major league action.
There’s plenty more baseball action tonight. Check out our complete previews for the Padres vs. Dodgers and Cardinals vs. Royals.
[sc:MLBArticles ]Chicago Cubs vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Preview
Where: Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ
When: Friday, May 22, 9:40 PM ET
Line: Chicago Cubs (-135) at Arizona Diamondbacks (+125); total 8.5 – view all MLB lines
Betting on the Chicago Cubs
Chicago’s Lester (4-2, 3.70 ERA) pitched nowhere near his ace-caliber level in April, going 0-2 with a 6.23 ERA in four starts. But he quickly turned it around in May, notching four straight wins with a 1.67 ERA in four outings. He’s allowed one earned run or none at all in three of those four outings.
The Cubs’ ace hasn’t seen much of Arizona’s line-up in his career. He’s held D-Backs hitters he has faced to a .188 average, but more than half of those 69 at-bats are from just one player – Aaron Hill, a former AL East rival in Toronto. Hill is a pitiful 4-of-35 against Lester lifetime.
[sc:MLB240banner ]There won’t be too much pressure on Lester to extend his win streak if he can get enough run support. The Cubs have a couple of youngsters capable of showing some power at the plate.
Cubs rookie Kris Bryant is on a 10-game hitting streak, going 13 for 33 with four home runs and 11 RBI. And slugger Anthony Rizzo could break out of a slump—he’s 1 of 13 in his last three games—against Arizona’s Josh Collmenter. Rizzo is 4 for 10 with two doubles and a homer against the D-Backs starter.
The total has gone under in three of Lester’s last four starts.
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Betting on the Arizona Diamondbacks
Discount these D-Backs all you want. They may just come back and steal a win. Arizona used a four-run sixth inning to rally to a 7-6 win, their fourth straight, against the Marlins on Thursday.
A.J. Pollock has been hot at the plate for the D-Backs. He went 6 for 10 with a homer, three RBIs, three stolen bases and five runs in the past three games. Pollock is just 1 for 3 lifetime against Chicago’s Lester. The D-Backs also have a red-hot rookie in Yasmany Tomas, who has gone 13 for 26 with four RBI in six straight multi-hit games.
Arizona rocked Lester for six runs on 11 hits in just 4.1 innings of action in a 7-6 victory over Boston in 2013.
Another victory against the ace may be difficult if Josh Collmenter (3-5, 5.36 ERA) continues his unspectacular run. Collmenter has given up 18 runs over 14.1 innings in three starts this month. Half of those runs came in an 11-1 home loss to Washington. The D-Backs right-hander is 1-4 with a 6.84 ERA at Chase field this year.
But a date with the Cubs may be what Collmenter needs to turn this month around. He is 1-0 with a 1.69 ERA in three career home starts against the Cubs.
Arizona has lost four of their last six games at Chase Field.
Writer’s Prediction
Lester pitches a gem for a Cubs win (-135).
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