After a slower start than anticipated, the Chicago Cubs are already back atop the NL Central standings as they get set for a three game series against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway. These two teams bring a lot of intrigue with some of the best young stars in the game squaring off. Could this possibly be a preview of the 2017 World Series? Either way, it’ll be a fun one to watch and one with a ton of betting action over the weekend.
This series will be contested from Friday, April 28, 2017 through Sunday, April 30, 2017 at Fenway Park in Boston. All three games will be on national television as MLB Network will cover Friday night’s action with Fox Sports 1 and ESPN covering Saturday and Sunday respectively.
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Pitching Matchups
Jake Arrieta will kick off the series for the Cubs on Friday, toeing the rubber opposite of Drew Pomeranz.
The veteran right-hander hasn’t had the best success against the Sox, going just 1-3 with a 4.66 ERA in his career, but much of those numbers came when he was struggling to go five innings a start as a member of the Orioles.
His last start against Boston came in 2014 and we made it into the eighth of that game with a no-hitter still intact.
In terms of their respective starts to the season, Arrieta has been the better pitcher. He’s 3-0 in four starts with a 3.65 ERA and 1.014 WHP in 24.2 innings while striking out 29. Pomeranz has been able to strike out the opposition. He’s got 20 in 15.2 innings, but he’s also surrendered eight runs, three homers and 14 hits. His first game of the year was his best. In his last two, he’s given up seven runs in 9.2 innings.
On to Saturday, John Lackey will matchup against Steven Wright. For Lackey, this will be a homecoming of sorts as he left the Sox in a trade during the 2014 season and hasn’t faced them since. In fact, his last start against the Sox came nearly nine years ago.
Lackey has been one of the weaker links in the Cubs rotation through the first month. He’s lasted six innings in each start, so he’s giving the team that, but he’s given up four or more runs three times.
Wright has also struggled so far. He was one of the best pitchers in baseball over the first few months last year until he got hurt, but as a knuckleballer, he’s entirely dependent on his knuckler working and for the most part it hasn’t this year.
He did pretty well a couple games back against the Rays, but he was belted around by the Orioles in an inning and a third, giving up eight runs and four homers. In his last start, he lasted just 3.2 innings, giving up four runs and nine hits, including two more homers. He’s given up seven bombs in 17.2 innings.
After a potential blow out on Saturday, the two teams will need some innings out of their youngsters in Kyle Hendricks and Eduardo Rodriguez. After a Cy Young caliber season last year, Hendricks struggled in his first few starts. He was never a ‘stuff’ pitcher, but his fastball was down, even from his mediocre 88-mph and he wasn’t selling his breaking stuff. The velocity was back in his last start, however, and he did well against the Pirates, going six scoreless, giving up just four hits.
As for E-Rod, he’s still a bit of a work in progress. Unlike Hendricks, he’s more of a stuff pitcher than a location guy. If he’s putting the ball where he wants it, he can be almost unhittable like he was against the Orioles in six shutout innings last time out.
Trending in the Right Direction
Regardless of what Joe Maddon says, there’s no doubt this team was suffering some World Series hangover out of the gate. With so much celebration early, this team was slow to come around, but after a four game losing streak and series sweep at the hands of the Pirates, the Cubs have now won six of their last eight games, playing like the team we all expected.
After slow starts, Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo are hitting again and when Brizzo is on, so are the Cubbies.
Bryant is in the midst of an eight game hitting streak and has two three hit games in his last three games. The hits are coming and the power will soon follow. The power is already back for Rizzo. He’s hit five homers, four in the last six games.
The Red Sox are just right around .500 and haven’t clicked, yet. They came into Thursday having lost four of their last six games.
Players to Watch
No player in baseball was as big of a disappointment in 2016 than Jason Heyward. The big ticket free agent was lost at the plate all season long. This year, he looks like a different player. He reworked his swing in the offseason and it’s paying off. He’s hitting .284 with a .346 OBP. He’s already slammed three home runs and leads the team in 16 RBIs.
Keep an eye on Mitch Moreland for the Sox. He’s struck out 20 times, but the left-handed bat is hitting .307 with 11 doubles breaking up the righties in the middle of the order.
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