When Cubs ace Jake Arrieta takes the mound on Sunday, it’ll be 288 days since Chicago last lost a regular season game in which he started. That spans only 19 starts, but it’s an impressive run nonetheless. The streak will end sometime, but the way he’s throwing, it could be awhile.
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ODDS ANALYSIS
The Cubs will run their ace and reigning Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta to the mound in the series finale; and that usually spells trouble for the opposition. The Cubs have won all six games in which Arrieta has started in 2016 and 19 straight during the regular season dating back to last year.
Arrieta was dealt a loss in the 2015 NLCS by the Mets, but overall Chicago is 21-1 in the last 22 games he’s started. Since joining the Cubs in 2014, Arrieta is 38-11 while the team has won 46 of his 64 starts in that span. Chicago has backed its ace with 52 runs and the over is 6-0 in games he’s started this season.
PROBABLE PITCHERS
After allowing three runs through three innings on Tuesday, Tanner Roark (2-2, 2.35 ERA) settled down and held the Royals to three hits and one unearned run in the next 4.1 frames. He had his scoreless innings streak snapped at 17.1 by an Alcides Escobar RBI single in the third inning. Roark at least looked human in this one after striking out 21 over 14 shutout innings in his last two starts.
It was the third game in a row he’s pitched at least seven innings and Roark now has four quality starts in his last five outings and an excellent 2.35 ERA in 38.1 innings to open the season.
Jake Arrieta (6-0, 0.84 ERA) yielded just two hits across seven scoreless innings in Tuesday’s 7-1 win over the Pirates. He walked the first two batters of the game, which made us think he might have a rare off night. Instead, the righty settled down and allowed just two singles with five strikeouts the rest of the way.
His numbers so far this season are even more impressive than what he did last year. He became the second pitcher to record six wins and has allowed only 20 hits in 43.0 innings. Arrieta carries a 0.84 ERA, 0.74 WHIP and .142 batting average against into Sunday’s showdown with the Nationals.
LIVE BETTING
Ben Zobrist thought about signing with the Nationals in the offseason, and considered the Mets, too, but his heart was always in his native state. So when the Cubs made the right offer, he jumped at the chance to reunite with his former manager. The Mets and Nats aren’t bad right now, but they’re not the Cubs, who improved to 21-6 with Thursday’s win over Washington, thanks to Zobrist.
For the second straight game Zobrist homered and drove in the winning run as the Cubs continue to roll. His 20 RBI’s – half coming in a four-game span – are second among Cubs only to Anthony Rizzo. He wasn’t thought of as a middle-of-the-order guy when the Cubs signed him, but Maddon has Zobrist hitting third or fifth, putting him in prime spots to drive in runs.
QUICK PICK
When the Cubbies run Arrieta out to the mound, victories follow. They have for his last 19 regular season starts. The ace right-hander has taken care of business on his end and the rest of his mates have done their share of damage as well. Chicago has scored a total of 52 runs in the games Arrieta started and no fewer than six in any of them.
Outside of Bryce Harper and Daniel Murphy, the Nats haven’t been overpowering offensively. Pitching is the main reason why they are at the top of the NL East and Roark is pleasant surprise. But the young righty will have to be on his game against the best hurler in the league and one mistake could prove costly.
MLB Odds: Chicago 5, Washington 2
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