In the last of a three-game series between the Chicago Cubs (6-4) and the San Diego Padres (6-4) at Wrigley Field, Jon Lester (0-1, 7.84 ERA) and Andrew Cashner (0-2, 4.09 ERA) get the ball. The Cubs won the last game 7-6 and the series is currently tied 1-1. The game gets underway at 2:20 p.m. ET on Sunday, Apr. 19 and will air on FSN-SD, WGN and MLB Network.
In his most recent outing, Lester pitched 6.0 innings, allowing six runs and striking out four in a 7-6 loss to the Reds. Anthony Rizzo (.281, 7 Rs, 1 HR, 5 RBIs, 2 SBs) continued his strong start to the season yesterday, going 2 for 5 with two runs and two stolen bases. In his career against the Cubs, Cashner is 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA. He meets a less-than-stellar Chicago offense that’s batting just .230. Justin Upton (.326, 10 Rs, 3 HRs, 8 RBIs, 1 SB) has been doing well to start the season for the Padres, going 2 for 5 yesterday with one run and one RBI.
Chicago, a -122 favorite, will look to capitalize at home against San Diego. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is unavailable at the moment. The Cubs are 3-3 as the favorite and have an overall money line of +28. They have been a terror on the base paths, ranking second in all of baseball with 12 steals. As for the pitching staff, the Cubs are fourth in the NL in walks allowed with just 2.2 per game.
On the other side, the Padres have a record of 2-2 when they are the underdog and are +249 overall with the money line. San Diego is one of the top hitting teams in the NL with an average of 9.4 hits per contest. Shifting to the pitching staff, they allow just 7.5 hits per game, good for fifth in the NL. The San Diego pitching staff has been an intimidating group this year, averaging 8.7 strikeouts per game.
This game will feature Cashner (RHP) on the mound against the Cubs, who have a 5-3 record when they take on a right-handed starter.
Predictions: SU Winner – SD, O/U – Under
Notes
San Diego has won 57% (4-3) of its games when leading after 7 innings. However, Chicago has won 67% (2-1) of its games when taking a late lead.
The Cubs are coming into this game after allowing one walk during their last outing. The Padres have a 1-3 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they are outhit, the Padres are 0-4. The Cubs have a 3-4 record when opponents outhit them.
Both falling in the top half of the league based on total home runs this season, Chicago ranks 12th with 11 homers and San Diego is 15th with 10.
Ranking 13th, Chicago is in the top half of the league in hits, notching 7.11 per game. San Diego ranks in the top five at second with 9.45.
Ranking 14th, Chicago is in the top half of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.708). San Diego ranks in the top 10 at eighth with an OPS of .734.
When the Padres allow at least one home run, they are 4-3. When the Cubs allow one or more homers, they have a 2-2 record.
