Had you told St. Louis Cardinals fans they were going to get four runs off of Jake Arrieta on Monday night, they'd probably feel pretty darn good about themselves. Instead, it wasn't nearly enough, and now, they're staring elimination in the face against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Lance Lynn actually threw an inning in this series in relief in Game 2, allowing a run to show for his work. This is a man who has been here and done this in the playoffs, something which has to give live bettors some confidence. He has thrown at least 11 innings in four straight postseasons, though the results have been mixed.
Last season was amongst the best in Lynn's career, as he allowed just four runs in 11.2 innings in two starts.
Live bettors should know that Lynn almost certainly won't go that deep into this game, though there will be some pressure on him after a night in which St. Louis threw 3.2 innings in relief which likely made all three of Kevin Siegrist, Adam Wainwright and Jonathan Broxton tough sells to use.
Jason Hammel has the biggest opportunity of his career on Friday. He can close out a postseason series and move the Cubs to the NLCS with a good start. Of course, we should once again not expect all that much. Hammel hasn't pitched in a game in 12 days, and he hasn't thrown more than five innings in a game since September 8.
The good news about Hammel is that he doesn't give up cheap base runners via walks all that often. That was the problem which Arrieta got into on Monday night, and the patient Cardinals tend to force pitchers deep into counts. If Hammel keeps pounding the strike zone, live bettors should be confident that he can get deep enough into this one to give the bullpen a legit chance to close it out without anything drastic.
ADVANCED STATS
The Cubs have stranded 32 runners on base here in this series, and the argument could be made that they perhaps should have more runs on the board than they already do. That's good news for live bettors who could get an opportunity to bet on them as underdogs at some point in this game.
Of course, strikeouts have been a big problem throughout, so we know there are going to be plenty of big time chances left out on the diamond. That said, we're still seeing the mashers come to the party. Jorge Soler, Kyle Schwarber, Dexter Fowler, Starlin Castro, Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo have all gone yard already here in the four games in the postseason.
It's a big bothersome that Addison Russell left Monday's game early with a hamstring issue, but the Cubs can still mash for sure.
TALKING BULLPENS
Mike Matheny knows that this is a game his team has to have, and he knows how to manage his staff when he has to win to keep his season alive.
That said, we alluded to the problem the Cardinals have earlier. Siegrist, Wainwright and Broxton all threw over 25 pitches on Monday, and it'll be tough for any of them to come back and throw in this game. Matheny will want to save John Lackey for Game 5, but asking Jaime Garcia to pitch again in this game or having Trevor Rosenthal throw two innings won't be out of the question.
St. Louis has a good history in these close out games thanks to this bullpen, so even if Lynn doesn't make it all that far, live bettors won't be out of it.
The MLB odds for this game will be available first at BookMaker Sportsbook. Gamble on the game between every half inning with BookMaker's live betting feature. Along with an adjusted in-game moneyline, you can wager on what will happen in the next at-bat or how many runs will be scored in the next inning. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone with BookMaker's new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here, and start wagering today! First pitch for Game 4 of the NLDS between the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals is scheduled for Tuesday, October 13, 2015 at 4:30 p.m. ET at Wrigley Field. The contest will be televised live on TBS.
