Atlanta’s offense has been as non-existent as wins recently on the road.
The Braves enter the series with the Cubs having won just two of their last 18 games away from Turner Field averaging a measly 2.4 runs during that stretch with cashing the under 11 times.
ODDS ANALYSIS
Following a stretch of 15 wins in 16 games the Cubs have cooled off in a big way, dropping three straight games, with two of those losses coming at the hands of the Tigers, who scored 25 runs and collected 40 hits in the sweep. The Cubs built a strong record on the under during the first part of the season with an offense that floundered with a group youngsters and a pitching staff that was lights out. The kids have figured it out lately, scoring 87 runs in 16 games since the beginning of August for an average of 5.44 per game. The Cubs have been a good play on the over recently also, going 10-3 in their last 13 games overall. The staff was still solid until facing the Tigers, who showed no mercy.
PITCHING MATCHUP
If Shelby Miller (5-9, 2.43 ERA) didn’t have bad luck, he’d have none at all. For the second time this season the Braves righty took a no-hitter into the eighth inning. Arizona broke up his latest bid Sunday, with a leadoff single. Miller left after another base hit, clinging to a 1-0 lead, but the bullpen allowed the tying run to score and Miller was left without a victory for the 16th straight start, despite procuring a 3.03 ERA in that span. Due to the league’s worst run support, Miller owns a shoddy 5-9 record but has a terrific 2.43 ERA.
He pitched well in a 4-1 loss to the Cubs on July 19, surrendering just four hits and three runs – one earned – with eight strikeouts across six innings.
Kyle Hendricks (6-5, 3.97 ERA) finished with his shortest outing of the season allowing five runs in 3.1 innings Friday against the White Sox. Hendricks noted a problem with his mechanics, saying he felt off balance, and has been working with pitching coach Chris Bosio and reviewing video from his dominant days in Double-A ball to get back on track.
In his only appearance against the Braves, Hendricks allowed one earned run and four hits over 5.2 innings in a 4-2 loss on July 17.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“There’s still not an X by our name,” Freddie Freeman said, referring to the letter next to a team’s name in the standings indicating they’ve been eliminated. “It’s baseball, The Nationals are supposed to win 100 games. You never know what can happen. I’m going to keep believing. You play this game for one reason, and it’s to get to the playoffs. Until I’m officially eliminated, that’s what I’m going to keep playing for.”
LIVE BETTING or SITUATIONAL BETTING
As Freeman has spent most of this summer on the disabled list, he has seen the Braves say adios to any hope of claiming an unexpected playoff spot. Freeman returned to the Braves lineup Wednesday in the No. 3 slot in the batting order after being on the disabled list since Aug. 3 with a strained oblique. Atlanta was 5-8 without Freeman, who is batting .285 and leads the team with 14 home runs and is third with 45 RBIs despite being limited to 77 games. He also missed 30 games with a wrist injury from June 28-July 5. At the time of his first injury, Freeman was the Braves leader in most offensive categories. His value to the club is best seen in his production with runners in scoring position. His .375 average with RISP is tied for seventh-best in the NL and over the past four seasons, he’s hitting .321 in those situations.
PROP TALK
Cubs rookie Kyle Schwarber can hit and it doesn’t matter who he faces. The kid has some pop in his bat as well, with homers in both games against the Tigers. He also scored five runs and drove in four as the Cubs totaled 16 runs in the two games. Four of his six hits over a six-game stretch left the yard and his home run Wednesday was his fourth in the last three games at Wrigley Field. In 15 games this month, Schwarber has seven homers, 21 runs scored and 19 RBIs, numbers that could have him in the Rookie of the Year discussion if he continues.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Cubs have started to rake the baseball with Schwarber joining fellow rookies Kris Bryant and Addison Russel on a team has All-Star Anthony Rizzo. That’s promising for the North Siders; facing Miller, not so much. The Braves righty has been snake bit this season, riding a 16-game winless streak while posting an ERA below 3.00 just tells you the Braves can’t score when he’s on the hill. He hasn’t been helped either by a bullpen that stinks. Don’t look for Miller to toss a complete game and that’s the only way he breaks his winless skid. It’ll come another day.
Chicago 5, Atlanta 2
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