Kyle Hendricks (11-7, 2.17 ERA) and Luke Weaver (0-0, 0.00 ERA) are on the hill in the third of a four-game series between the Chicago Cubs (73-41) and the St. Louis Cardinals (60-56) at Wrigley Field. The Cubs won the last game 13-2, continuing an 11-game winning streak. Action begins at 2:20 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 13 and can be seen on WLS and FSMW.
Hendricks pitched 7.1 innings in his last outing, surrendering one run and striking out four in a 3-1 win over the Athletics. Kris Bryant (.288, 88 Rs, 28 HRs, 72 RBIs, 7 SBs) continued his strong play yesterday, going 3 for 5 with two runs and two RBIs. This is the first time Weaver will take the hill this season.
This one isn’t expected to be close when Chicago, a substantial -225 favorite, takes on St. Louis. The Cubs have recorded an overall money line of +169 and have shown high-level performance as a favorite this season with a record of 68-33. Chicago is perfect SU and unbeaten in its last 10 outings as the favorite. The Cubs have seen an uptick in scoring against teams inside their division, averaging 6.1 runs per game. They average 5.1 runs per game on the season. Chicago leads the whole NL in walks, earning an average of 4.2 per game. Chicago’s pitching staff has been doing better against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, only allowing an average of 1.6 runs per game, well under their season average of 3.3. The Cubs are the top team in the league at limiting hits and walks to their opponents, recording a WHIP of 1.108 so far this season.
In games where it is the underdog, St. Louis has a 17-20 record and an overall money line of -630. 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. Offensively, the Cardinals have really sputtered in the last 10 games. They have decreased their season average of 4.9 runs per game by averaging 3.1 during that stretch. The Cardinals can change the game with one swing of the bat, ranking fourth in the league with 157 home runs. The Cardinals allow 4.4 runs per game, but have damaged those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 6.0 runs per game during that span.
The Cubs lead the season series, 6-5. The Cubs have a 47-30 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Weaver takes the mound. Hendricks (RHP) will be on the hill against the Cardinals, who have a 45-36 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – CHC
Notes
In their last game, the Cubs won by a margin of 11 runs. The Cardinals are 2-2 in games decided by a margin of 10 runs or more. The Cubs have a 4-1 record in blowouts.
When leading after seven innings, Chicago is 40-18, while St. Louis is 28-24.
The Cardinals managed to give up four walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Cubs who are heading in with a 49-19 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they are outhit, the Cardinals are 13-49. The Cubs have a 7-26 record when opponents outhit them.
Chicago ranks in the top half of the league when it comes to home runs, hitting 142 this season. St. Louis ranks in the top five at fourth with 157.
Ranking seventh, Chicago is in the top 10 of the league in hits, notching 8.63 per game. St. Louis ranks in the top five with 8.79.
Chicago and St. Louis both rank in the top five of the league for their on-base plus slugging percentage. Chicago sits at third with an OPS of .778, and St. Louis ranks fourth with an OPS of .773.
When the Cardinals allow at least one home run, they are 31-36. When the Cubs allow one or more homers, they have a 38-33 record.
