Jake Arrieta (4-4, 2.77 ERA) takes the mound for the Chicago Cubs (23-18) as they go up against Rubby De La Rosa (4-2, 4.08 ERA) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (20-21) in the second of a three-game series at Chase Field. The Diamondbacks won the last game 5-4, extending a five-game winning streak. The game gets underway at 10:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, May. 23 and will air on CSN-CHI, FSN-AZ and MLB Net.
In his last start, De La Rosa pitched 9.0 innings, allowing two runs and striking out five in a 3-2 loss to the Marlins. Paul Goldschmidt (.331, 31 Rs, 11 HRs, 35 RBIs, 8 SBs) continued his strong season yesterday, going 3 for 5 with one run, one home run, three RBIs, and two stolen bases. In his pitching opportunities against the Diamondbacks, Arrieta is 0-1 with a 4.05 ERA, eight strikeouts and three walks. Anthony Rizzo (.320, 26 Rs, 8 HRs, 23 RBIs, 9 SBs) went 1 for 5 yesterday.
Arizona, a +116 underdog, will look to capitalize at home against Chicago. The matchup currently has an eight-run Over/Under (O/U). The Diamondbacks are 13-14 as the underdog and have an overall money line of +two. Over the last 10 games, they have had a very good record when playing as the underdog (5-2). The Diamondbacks come into the game with the NL’s second-ranked home scoring offense, averaging 5.0 runs per game in their own ballpark. The Diamondbacks rank third in the NL in hits at home with 9.2 per game. The Diamondbacks are a nightmare for opponents on the bases with 40 steals, one of the highest totals in baseball.
Moving on to the opposing team, the Cubs come into this game with a solid win percentage of .609 when playing as the favorite (14-9) and an overall money line of +397. They have played at the top of their game when rated as favorite recently. They managed a 7-1 record when playing as the favorite and an SU record of 8-2. The Cubs rank third in the NL in road scoring, averaging four runs per game. The Cubs have racked up 40 steals on the year, making them one of the most threatening base-running teams in the league. The last 10 games have really brought the best out of the Chicago pitchers. They’ve allowed 3.0 runs per game during that span, which is lower than their season average of 4.2. They also have some of the most overpowering arms in baseball with an NL-high 8.4 strikeouts per road game.
The only other game between the two teams went Arizona’s way. The Diamondbacks will take on a right-hander (Arrieta) in this game and have a 15-16 record against right-handed starting pitchers this season. Taking the hill against the Cubs will be the right-hander De La Rosa. They sport a 19-14 record against righties.
Predictions: SU Winner – CHC, O/U – Over
Notes
Arizona 4-0-1 SU in its last 5 games.
Arizona is 2-4-1 SU in its last 7 games, at home.
Arizona 5-0-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing Chi Cubs.
Arizona 4-0-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs.
When leading after 7 innings, Arizona is 10-4, while Chicago is 10-9.
The Diamondbacks managed to give up five walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Cubs who are coming in with an 8-4 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they are outhit, the Diamondbacks are 4-15. The Cubs have a 6-15 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking 20th in home runs, Arizona has hit 36 this season. Chicago ranks 13th with 40 home runs.
Ranking first in hits, Arizona has earned 9.53 per game this season. Chicago ranks 10th with 8.35 hits.
Arizona and Chicago both rank in the top half of the league for their on-base plus slugging percentage. Arizona sits at 12th with an OPS of .725 and Chicago ranks 14th with an OPS of .712.
The Cubs are 13-12 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The Diamondbacks are 10-16 when they allow at least one homer.
