Prior to last season, Nationals manager Dusty Baker was the last skipper to guide the Cubs to the NLCS, doing so in 2003. Baker is all too familiar with the black cloud hanging over the Chicago organization and hopes to put the whammy on the Cubbies when his new team pays a visit to the friendly confines.
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ODDS ANALYSIS
The Nationals are on the final leg of their Road-Trip-From-Hell and conclude the 10-game, three-city excursion with a four-game set in Chicago. Teams endure lengthy road trips a few times a year, but rarely do they include stops against NL Central powerhouse St. Louis, the defending World Series champion Kansas City Royals, and the best team in baseball the Chicago Cubs.
But here the Nats are, halfway through the trip and they suffered their first loss on it, falling in devastating fashion to the Royals on Tuesday. Washington couldn’t hold a 6-3 lead in the eighth inning and surrendered three runs in the bottom of the ninth. Overall, however, the Nats have been strong away from home early in the year, going 10-4 through their first 14 roadies while playing in the black 5.00 units on the moneyline.
PROBABLE PITCHERS
Gio Gonzalez (2-1, 1.15 ERA) can do no wrong thus far in 2016. He tossed six shutout innings in a 2-0 win in Kansas City on Monday, lowering his ERA to 1.15. He allowed just four hits and two walks while striking out one. The Royals weren’t able to do anything with the contact they made and managed just one line drive.
His ERA and 0.99 WHIP are well below his career lines, so it’s hard to buy into those numbers. But Gonzalez is throwing the ball well, mixing his pitches and keeping hitters off-balance with has assortment of off-speed pitches. That could be trouble for the free-swinging Cubbies.
Jason Hammel (4-0, 1.24 ERA) gave up two runs in five innings to defeat the Pirates on Monday. The start was actually his worst of the season, as he had allowed a total of two runs all season prior to that outing. He surrendered five hits with a walk and three strikeouts and was pulled after hitting a batter to lead off the sixth. It was the first time in his five starts he didn’t go six frames.
The righty has had some trouble with walks this season, but he’s kept his WHIP at a very strong 1.07 by allowing just 21 hits in 29.0 innings. He takes a miniscule 1.24 ERA into his next start against the Nationals, who he is 9-0 against in his career.
LIVE BETTING
With Kyle Schwarber already out for the year and the Cubs now dealing with injuries to outfielders Jason Heyward and Matt Szczur, the play of Javier Baez has become increasingly important early in the season. The versatile Baez, who was the shortstop of the future a few years back, then the second baseman to team with Addison Russell up the middle, is now the third baseman of the present with Kris Bryant moving to the outfield on a temporary basis.
It’s a move manager Joe Maddon never hesitated to make. Baez’s talents never have been questioned as he maneuvered through the Cubs system and his development is paying off. His discipline at the plate is making him a threat offensively while his defense, wherever he plays, has been flawless.
QUICK PICK
The Cubs have assembled the best team in baseball and they’re playing like it. They could be the best all-around team in a long time and if they stay healthy, dare I say it, they could be staring at the MLB record for wins. Following their second straight win in Pittsburgh, the Cubbies are on pace for 123 victories, a number that would shatter the mark of 116. And speaking of health, this team isn’t even at full strength. Heyward is nursing a sore wrist, reserve Szczur went on the disabled list and their starting left fielder was lost in the first week of the season.
Pitching, yikes. The Cubs have it. Hammel isn’t considered an ace and he’s the No. 4 guy in the rotation, but his numbers are lights out. Chicago will enter the weekend set not having lost consecutive games through the first month and, yes, they are that good.
MLB Odds: Chicago 5, Washington 2
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