Gio Gonzalez (4-2, 4.73 ERA) and Jake Arrieta (4-4, 3.18 ERA) take the hill in the first of a four-game series between the Washington Nationals (29-24) and the Chicago Cubs (27-24) at Nationals Park. Action begins at 7:05 p.m. ET on Thursday, Jun. 4 and can be seen on WGN, MASN and MLB Network.
Gonzalez is 3-1 with a 2.39 ERA in his appearances against the Cubs, and goes up against a below-average Chicago offense which is batting just .239 this season. Bryce Harper (.333, 43 Rs, 18 HRs, 44 RBIs, 3 SBs) continued his strong play yesterday, going 2 for 4. When pitching against the Nationals, Arrieta is 0-1 with a 5.81 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, and 29 strikeouts. Anthony Rizzo (.317, 29 Rs, 9 HRs, 31 RBIs, 10 SBs) went 1 for 3 yesterday with one run and one stolen base.
Washington is a -122 favorite against Chicago and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at seven runs. Though the Nationals have had a tough season in terms of their overall money line (-9), they have done fairly well as a favorite with a record of 25-16. The Nationals have seen a decline in scoring as of late, averaging 2.6 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 4.5 runs per game.
In games where it is the underdog, Chicago has a 9-10 record and an overall money line of +88. They have been on a bit of a dry streak over their last 10 games. They managed a 0-2 record when playing as the underdog. The Cubs are an excellent base stealing team with 44 stolen bases, ranking fourth in the MLB. The Cubs have established a reputation of overwhelming hitters with an NL-best 8.9 strikeouts per game.
The Nationals lead the season series, 2-1. The Nationals have a 21-20 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Arrieta takes the mound. Gonzalez (LHP) will be on the hill against the Cubs, who have a 4-4 record against left-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – CHC, O/U – Over
Notes
Having scored zero runs in their last game, the Nationals are going to have to up their game if they want to win this matchup. The Cubs have a 5-0 record in games where opponents scored that many runs.
When they are outhit, the Nationals are 6-23. The Cubs have a 6-19 record when opponents outhit them.
Chicago ranks in the top half of the league at 14th when it comes to home runs, hitting 50 this season. Washington ranks in the top 10 at 10th with 55.
Ranking 11th, Chicago is in the top half of the league in hits, notching 8.20 per game. Washington ranks in the top 10 at ninth with 8.48.
Ranking 17th, Chicago is in the bottom half of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.703). Washington ranks in the top half at 12th with an OPS of .724.
The Cubs are 15-18 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The Nationals are 8-15 when they allow at least one homer.
