In the second of a four-game series between the Chicago Cubs (16-15) and the New York Mets (16-15) at Wrigley Field, Jake Arrieta (3-3, 3.41 ERA) and Noah Syndergaard (0-0, 0.00 ERA) get the start. The Cubs won the last game 4-3 and Chicago leads the series 1-0. The game starts at 8:05 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May. 12 and will air on SNY, CSN-CHI+ and MLB Net.
Arrieta is 0-1 with a 2.41 ERA against the Mets in his career, and faces a struggling New York offense that’s hitting just .237 on the year. Anthony Rizzo (.327, 24 Rs, 7 HRs, 19 RBIs, 7 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one run, one home run, and one RBI. This is the first opportunity for Arrieta to take the mound this season. Lucas Duda (.287, 17 Rs, 3 HRs, 13 RBIs) has been hitting the ball well for the Mets, going 2 for 4 yesterday with one run, one home run, and one RBI.
Chicago, a -135 favorite, will look to capitalize at home against New York. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is unavailable at the moment. When playing as the favorite, the Cubs have a 7-8 record and overall money line at -190. They are 1-3 as the favorite over their last 10 games. The Cubs are a nightmare for opponents on the bases with 30 steals, one of the highest totals in baseball. Chicago’s pitching staff will be looking to pick it up in this one after recent struggles. The Cubs have given up an average of 5.9 runs to opponents in their last 10 games, above their season average of 4.5 runs per game. The Cubs are third in the NL in hits allowed at home with just 7.9 per game.
Moving on to the away team, the Mets come into this game in an interesting position. They have won more than 60 percent of games played as the underdog (5-8) but have a negative money line (+956). Over the last 10 games, they were winless as the underdog with a 0-3 record and 5-5 SU. The Mets will be looking to pick it up in this one after recent offensive struggles. In their 10 most recent games, New York’s run production has dropped to 2.8 runs per game, compared to 4.2 for the duration of the season. The Mets are a problem for opposing batters, sporting a 2.86 ERA this season. They have a WHIP of 1.13 on the year, good for second in the league.
The only other game between the two teams went Chicago’s way. The Cubs will take on a right-hander (Syndergaard) in this game and have a 13-12 record against right-handed starting pitchers this season. Taking the hill against the Mets will be the right-hander Arrieta. They sport a 17-8 record against righties.
Predictions: SU Winner – CHC
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, New York is 12-3, while Chicago is 5-8.
The Mets managed to give up six walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Cubs who are heading in with a 3-1 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they outhit their opponents, the Cubs are 9-2. The Mets have an 11-1 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 23rd, New York sits near the bottom of the league in runs, scoring 123 this season. Chicago ranks in the bottom half at 18th with 131.
Ranking 16th, New York is in the bottom half of the league in walks, notching 94 this season. Chicago ranks in the top 10 at 10th with 107.
When the Cubs hit at least one home run, they are 12-5. When the Mets hit at least one homer, they have a 12-4 record.
