Buckle up for one hell of a showdown at AT&T Park. The majors-leading Chicago Cubs travel to California for a colossal three-game set with the San Francisco Giants. The opener officially kicks off tonight, and toeing the rubber for Chicago is the undefeated Jake Arietta. Can he put on another show for his club? Or will the Giants hand him his first loss of the season?
Read on below for everything you need to know about this National League matchup. And while you’re at it, check out our preview of the game between the Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Chicago seems to have lost its lethal form lately, as it will enter this series opener having lost three of its previous four games, including a pair of losses to the Brewers yesterday night and last Tuesday. But the Cubs should be in line for a major bounce-back game with Jake Arrieta (7-0, 1.29 ERA) on the mound.
In his last start, the 30-year-old righty scattered two runs and three hits across eight solid innings opposite the Pirates. The Cubs won that game, 8-2, and that’s bound to be the result again versus the Giants, whom Arrieta’s had a lot of success against. He boasts a 1.69 ERA along with a 0.90 WHIP and .186 opponents’ batting average throughout four career starts in this matchup.
On offense, meanwhile, the Cubs have been struggling. They’re only averaging less than two runs in their past four contests. That being said, the pressure is on Ben Zobrist and Anthony Rizzo to deliver the goods at the plate.
Zobrist currently leads the team in batting (.328) and OBP (.448) this year. He’ll also be aiming to extend his hitting streak to seven games. Zobrist, however, is only 5-for-19 lifetime against the Giants’ starter in Jake Peavy.
As for Rizzo, he’s gone hitless in the past four games, going 0-for-12. But this guy can get hot at any given moment. Rizzo carries team-highs of 11 homers and 34 RBIs.
Chicago is 7-3 SU in its last 10 road games. The Cubs are also priced at +150to win the National League championship.
Betting on the San Francisco Giants (25-18)
San Francisco’s eight-game winning streak could be in serious jeopardy if it doesn’t receive a solid performance from Jake Peavy on the mound.
Peavy’s been awful this season, and his 7.43 ERA is a proof of that. However, there’s a relatively good chance that the 34-year-old veteran could surprise us and the Cubs tonight. Peavy’s coming off an excellent game against Arizona last week, during which he registered six innings of one-run ball despite failing to get the decision. Peavy also holds a 9-6 record with a respectable 2.81 ERA in 18 career starts versus the Cubs.
In any case though, the Giants still need their offense to contribute some timely runs even if Peavy shines or gets rocked. Look to Hunter Pence and Brandon Belt to lead the charge in doing so.
Pence, the team’s best hitter (.297) right now, has gone 8-for-24 (.333) with two homers and five RBIs in his last six games. Belt, on the other hand, is just 2-for-11 in his previous three outings, but continues to lead the Giants in OBP (.425) and hits (46).
Also, Buster Posey could be in for a productive night. He heads into this game on a four-game hitting streak. In that stretch he’s gone 5-for-15 along with two doubles and three RBIs. Posey, though, is only 1-for-9 lifetime opposite Jake Arrieta.
San Francisco is 6-4 SU in its last 10 home games. The Giants are also pegged at +1,200 to win the World Series this year.
