Jake Arrieta (12-5, 2.75 ERA) gets the start for the Chicago Cubs (66-41) as they go up against Sonny Gray (5-10, 5.84 ERA) and the Oakland Athletics (48-60) in the second of a three-game series at O.C. Coliseum. The Cubs won the last game 7-2, and Chicago leads the series 1-0. The game starts at 4:05 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 6 and will air on CSCh and CSCA.
In his most recent outing, Gray pitched 3.1 innings, giving up seven runs, striking out three and walking two in an 8-0 loss to the Indians. Danny Valencia (.303, 47 Rs, 14 HRs, 39 RBIs) played well again yesterday, going 2 for 5 with two runs, one home run, and one RBI. The Cubs were also unsuccessful the last time Arrieta pitched. He pitched well, going 7.0 innings, allowing two runs, striking out four and walking three in a 4-1 loss to the Mariners. Anthony Rizzo (.288, 65 Rs, 24 HRs, 79 RBIs, 3 SBs) went 1 for 3 yesterday with one run.
The Over/Under (O/U) for this game is set at eight runs and Oakland is a heavy +193 underdog. When playing as the underdog, the Athletics have a 32-38 record and overall money line at -923. They come into the game with concerning records of 2-5 as the underdog and 5-9 SU against the National League.
Across the field, the Cubs have a nice record of 61-33 when they are favored, but are -531 overall with the money line. Teams in the American League haven’t been able to get the upper hand on fiery Chicago. The Cubs hold a record of 8-4 in games where they were ranked as the favorite and an 8-4 SU. The Cubs rank second in the NL in scoring, averaging 5.1 runs per game. The Cubs average 4.2 walks per game, making them the most disciplined team in the NL. The Cubs are the top pitching staff in the NL, essentially shutting down opponents to the tune of 3.5 runs allowed per game. They have a WHIP of 1.130 on the year, the best in the league.
The Athletics will take on a right-hander (Arrieta) in this game and have a 36-44 record against right-handed starting pitchers this season. Taking the hill against the Cubs will be the right-hander Gray. They sport a 42-30 record against righties.
Predictions: SU Winner – CHC, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after seven innings, Chicago is 37-18, while Oakland is 17-25.
The Cubs didn’t score any runs in their last game. The Athletics have a 3-0 record when they don’t allow any runs.
When they outhit their opponents, the Athletics are 33-11. The Cubs have a 54-12 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 23rd, Oakland is near the bottom of the league in runs, scoring 446 this season. Chicago ranks in the top five at fourth with 542.
Chicago tops the league in walks with 452 this season. Oakland ranks near the bottom at 28th with 276.
The Athletics are 38-31 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Cubs are 48-20 when they hit at least one homer.
