There might not be a lot of scoring in this game as Noah Syndergaard (9-8, 3.26 ERA) and the New York Mets square off against Jake Arrieta (24-6, 1.81 ERA) and the Chicago Cubs (101-67) in Game 2 of the League Championship Series at Citi Field. The Mets won the last game 4-2, and New York leads the series 1-0. Action begins at 8:07 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 18 and can be seen on TBS.
Syndergaard pitched 1.0 inning in Game 5 of the Divisional Playoffs, surrendering zero runs, striking out two and walking one in a 3-2 win over the Dodgers. Arrieta went 5.2 innings, surrendering four runs, striking out nine and walking two in an 8-6 win over the Cardinals in Game 3 of the Divisional Playoffs.
Chicago takes on New York as a -145 favorite. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at six runs. Though the Mets have had a solid season in terms of their overall money line (+596), they’ve have done poorly as an underdog with a record of 18-38. The Mets are one of the best in the MLB in terms of extra base hits with 504. As for the pitchers, the Mets are the second-best team in the league at limiting hits and walks to their opponents, recording a WHIP of 1.178 so far this season. Opponents have consistently been struck out by the Mets, who rank fourth in the NL in strikeouts per home game with 8.6.
In the other locker room, Chicago is coming in with an overall money line of +1,757 and an impressive record of 72-38 as the favorite. They played solid baseball as the favorite over their last 10 games with an 8-1 record and an 8-2 record SU. Chicago’s pitching staff is one of the best in the NL at pitching on the road, with a 3.33 ERA. When it comes to preventing batters from getting on base, the Cubs are the best in the league with a WHIP of 1.144 for the season. The Cubs have established a reputation of overwhelming hitters with an NL-best 8.8 strikeouts per game.
The Cubs have controlled the season series, 7-1. The Mets have a 72-56 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Arrieta takes the mound.
Predictions: SU Winner – CHC, O/U – Over
Notes
The Mets are coming off of a hot pitching game where they recorded 10 strikeouts. The Cubs have a record of 41-34 when they are struck out that many times or more.
When they are outhit, the Mets are 20-60. The Cubs have an 18-48 record when opponents outhit them.
New York and Chicago both rank in the top 10 of the league in home runs. New York sits at seventh with 186 home runs this season and Chicago ranks ninth with 184.
New York and Chicago both rank in the top half of the league in hits. New York sits at 12th with 8.35 hits per game and Chicago ranks 14th with 8.26.
New York and Chicago both rank in the bottom half of the league for their on-base plus slugging percentage. New York sits at 20th with an OPS of .712 and Chicago ranks 16th with an OPS of .723.
The Cubs are 46-44 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The Mets are 43-54 when they allow at least one homer.
