The Chicago Cubs are trailing 2-0 against the New York Mets after both their aces in Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta recorded losses in the first two games of the National League Championship Series. They were also in a tight predicament in the five-game Divisional Series against St. Louis, losing the first game with Lester on the mound, but Kyle Hendricks and the Cubs’ batters saved them the next game.
Hendricks now has a chance to help his team avoid a 0-3 hole in the seven-game NLCS. But he faces the Mets’ certified ace in Jacob deGrom in a pitchers’ duel. Can the Mets continue rolling, or will the Cubs fight back to make this series even more interesting?
Read on and grab some baseball action for Tuesday night while you wait for an explosive weekend of football action. Check out the complete previews for the big college football showdown in No. 15 Texas A&M vs. No. 24 Ole Miss on Saturday night, and also Sunday Night Football’s Eagles vs. Panthers match for some professional gridiron action.
[sc:MLBArticles ]New York Mets vs. Chicago Cubs NLCS Game 3 Preview
Where: Wrigley Field, Chicago
When: Tuesday, October 20, 8:07 PM ET
Line: New York Mets (-125) at Chicago Cubs (+115) – view all MLB lines
TV Broadcast: TBS
Betting on the New York Mets
They say pitching wins championships. That’s certainly been the case if the first two games of the NLCS are to be examined. The Mets are on to a roaring 2-0 start after solid performances from Matt Harvey and Noah Syndergaard. They open Game 3 with ace Jacob deGrom (2-0, 1.38 ERA) on the mound.
[sc:MLB240banner ]deGrom has been sensational this postseason; he tossed seven shutout innings with 13 strikeouts in Game 1 of the NLDS before clinching the series in Game 5, allowing just two earned runs in six innings with seven strikeouts. But he’s struggled against the Cubs in the regular season, going 0-2 with a 6.10 ERA in two starts. He allowed seven earned runs on 12 hits (three homers) and six walks in those games.
But even if deGrom struggles against the Cubs this Tuesday, at least the Mets have a solid answer at the plate. Daniel Murphy is having an October to remember after homering in the past four games, and is just one home run shy of Carlos Beltran’s record of homering in five-straight postseason games.
Murphy’s long balls have come against some of the best pitchers in the game this postseason in Zack Greinke, Clayton Kershaw, Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester. He now has a good chance of tying the record against the Cubs’ Kyle Hendricks, who allowed three homers in his lone postseason start against St. Louis in Game 2 of the NLDS.
The Mets have won their last four with deGrom as their starter.
Betting on the Chicago Cubs
While the Mets’ Daniel Murphy has been swinging a hot bat, Chicago’s sluggers in Kyle Schawrber, Kris Bryant and Dexter Fowler have been cold in the NLCS. Schwarber is just 1 of 8 in this series against New York after going on a 7 of 15 tear in the NLDS against the St. Louis Cardinals. Meanwhile, Bryant has been cold in the postseason in general (.185 batting average), and Fowler is just as disappointing as he’s just 1 for 7 in home games this postseason.
The Cubs’ bats could come alive against Mets ace Jacob deGrom, though, as odd as that sounds. deGrom struggled in his two starts against the Cubs this season as mentioned earlier. Bryant has a homer and two RBIs in his career against the New York ace. Meanwhile, the slumping Anthony Rizzo — who is hitting just .167 this postseason — is actually 3 for 9 lifetime with a homer and two RBIs against deGrom.
Getting run support will be crucial for Chicago, especially with Kyle Hendricks (0-0, 5.79 ERA) on the mound. Hendricks lasted just 4.2 innings in his lone start this postseason, allowing three earned runs on three homers in Game 2 of the Cubs’ NLDS matchup against St. Louis. But five runs of support in the second inning and another in the third bailed him out then.
And yet, Hendricks was pretty solid in his lone start against the Mets in the regular season. He tossed for six scoreless innings, limiting the Mets to just three hits and a walk in a 1-0 victory.
The Cubs have won their last seven games against the Mets at Wrigley Field.
Writer’s Prediction
The Cubs (+115) chip away at the Mets’ series lead with a 6-4 victory. Create a betting account now and get the most of baseball postseason action while it lasts.
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