Jake Arrieta wasn’t at his best last time out, but the Cubs, like they’ve done all season in back of their ace, put up enough runs to get him another win. Arrieta became the first NL hurler to reach nine wins and the Cubs have won his last 23 regular season starts.
The last time he faced the Dodgers, he tossed his first no-no.
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ODDS ANALYSIS
The Cubs hit a little bump in the road with a recent stretch that saw them lose six of eight games, but a resurgent offense got them over that rough spell. It was difficult to imagine Chicago maintaining its torrid pace that saw them win 25 of their first 31 games and, of course, they didn’t. But the Cubs are probably the most balanced team in the majors and they shrugged off that losing spell. It also helped that they had a home series with the Phillies over the weekend.
A sweep of Philadelphia extended Chicago’s winning streak to five straight, which started by taking the final two games against NL Central rival St. Louis. The Cubs are a safe bet considering they own MLB’s best record and they are up 9.44 units overall on the moneyline. The Cubs were the favorite in 19 of 20 games through the weekend.
PROBABLE PITCHERS
Scott Kazmir (4-3, 4.84 ERA) has been a bit unpredictable this year. Two starts back he walked seven. Next time out he fanned 12. Kazmir held the Reds to one run on four hits with two walks and his dozen Ks over six innings to get the win. It was the lefty’s finest outing since he blanked San Diego on one hit over six frames in his opener.
Not really known as a strikeout pitcher, Kazmir fanned double-figures for the first time since his first start of 2015, when he whiffed 10 Rangers. The results of his last outing don’t mean Kazmir is back, but it’s a good sign. He also went without allowing a homer for the first time in his last five starts. He won his lone career start at Wrigley Field.
Jake Arrieta (9-0, 1.72 ERA) proved he’s human after all. The Cardinals touched him for seven hits and four runs in five innings, to become the first to score that many against him since June 16, 2015. It snapped a string of 30 straight starts with three earned runs or fewer for Arrieta. He gave up a first-inning run for the first time in 12 months and had a rare off day, but he held on to become the first nine-game winner in the NL.
The Cubs have won Arrieta’s last 23 starts, a franchise record, and have scored 81 total runs in his 10 starts this year. He looks to keep his streak going against the Dodgers, in his first game against them since tossing a no-hitter last Aug. 30.
LIVE BETTING
Cubs manager Joe Maddon really wanted Ben Zobrist and the club made it happen during the offseason by signing the free agent. Maddon felt the versatility and veteran leadership Zobrist would provide would be helpful on the field and in the locker room for a team with such high expectations entering the year. Zobrist has been much more than just a piece.
An RBI double in the first inning Saturday extended Zobrist’s hitting streak to 14 games and a three-run third inning homer Sunday made it 15 straight. He has reached safely in 34 consecutive starts and his 35 RBIs, 22 of which have come with two outs, are second-most in the majors. He later singled for his third straight multi-hit showing, raising his overall batting average to .354, second in the big leagues’ among qualified hitters to only Washington’s Daniel Murphy.
QUICK PICK
Arrieta wasn’t at his best last time out, giving up four runs in a regular season game for the first time since last June, yet the Cubs still managed to produce enough and hold off the Cards for a 9-8 win. That’s how it’s been for the Cy Young winner. He’s carried them long enough and it was time for his mates to pick him up, and they did. That’s not a first for the Cubs, though. Chicago has backed Arrieta with 81 runs in his 10 starts and has scored fewer than six in a game just once. It’s unlikely that Kazmir can do enough to keep the Cubs from putting up some crooked numbers, and the L.A. bullpen has been sketchy at best.
MLB Odds: Chicago 6, Los Angeles 2
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