Tsuyoshi Wada (0-1, 4.84 ERA) and the Chicago Cubs (34-27) go up against Shaun Marcum (3-1, 4.09 ERA) and the Cleveland Indians (29-33) in the first of a one-game interleague series at Wrigley Field. The Cubs won the last game 8-1 and Chicago can finish out the series sweep with a win in this game. The game gets underway at 8:05 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Jun. 16 and will air on STO and CSN-CHI.
In his last start, Wada pitched 3.0 innings, giving up three runs, striking out four and walking two in a 6-3 loss to the Reds. Kris Bryant (.294, 37 Rs, 7 HRs, 35 RBIs, 5 SBs) went 1 for 5 Sunday. In his career against the Cubs, Marcum is 4-1 with a 3.93 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 31 strikeouts. Jason Kipnis (.335, 41 Rs, 5 HRs, 28 RBIs, 8 SBs) has been doing well offensively for the Indians, going 2 for 3 Sunday.
Chicago is a -140 favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is presently unavailable. The Cubs are 22-15 as the favorite and have an overall money line of +371. Over the last 10 games, they have a very good record when playing as the favorite (4-1). They have been a terror on the base paths, ranking fifth in all of baseball with 46 steals. Turning to the pitching staff, the Cubs don’t allow many hitters to get on base, ranking fifth in the league with a 1.20 WHIP.
Across the field, the Indians have a record of 10-11 when they are the underdog and are -1,118 overall with the money line. Against interleague opponents, they are 4-2 SU and have a poor 0-1 record when they were an underdog to win. During the last 10 games, they averaged 3.0 runs per game, below their 4.2 season average. The Indians are a problem for opposing batters, sporting a 3.59 ERA on the road this season. They also average just 7.7 hits allowed per road game, second-best in the AL. They also have some of the most overpowering arms in baseball with an AL-high 9.4 strikeouts per game.
This game will feature Marcum (RHP) on the mound against the Cubs, who have a 29-23 record when they take on a right-handed starter. The left-handed Wada will take the mound against the Indians, who have an 11-14 record against lefty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – CHC
Notes
The Cubs are 7-3 in games that go into extra innings. Meanwhile, the Indians are 1-2 in such matchups.
Having scored one run in their last game, the Indians are going to have to up their game if they want to win this matchup. The Cubs have a 12-0 record in games where opponents scored that many runs or fewer.
When they outhit their opponents, the Indians are 23-5. The Cubs have a 22-3 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 19th in runs, Chicago has earned 250 this season. Cleveland ranks 15th with 259 runs.
Cleveland tops the league in walks with 230 this season. Chicago ranks in the top five at fourth with 207.
The Cubs are 22-13 when they hit at least one home run. The Indians perform similarly when they hit one or more homers with a 23-15 record.
