Jake Arrieta (8-5, 2.80 ERA) and Tyler Lyons (2-0, 5.09 ERA) are on the hill in the second of a four-game series between the Chicago Cubs (44-37) and the St. Louis Cardinals (54-28) at Wrigley Field. The Cardinals won the last game 6-0 and St. Louis leads the series 1-0. Action begins at 1:20 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Jul. 7 and can be seen on FSN-MW, WGN and MLB Network.
Arrieta is 3-1 with a 1.48 ERA in his appearances against the Cardinals, but goes up against a quality St. Louis offense which is batting .259 this season. Anthony Rizzo (.292, 44 Rs, 15 HRs, 45 RBIs, 12 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday. Lyons is 0-1 with a 7.36 ERA when pitching against the Cubs. He takes on a below-average Chicago offense which is hitting just .239 this season. Jhonny Peralta (.297, 36 Rs, 11 HRs, 42 RBIs, 1 SB) went 1 for 3 yesterday with two runs.
The odds for Chicago and St. Louis are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. Within its division, Chicago has a record of 17-17 SU. The Cubs have seen a decline in scoring as of late, averaging 2.3 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 3.9 runs per game. Chicago’s pitching staff has been doing better against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, only allowing an average of 2.4 runs per game, well under their season average of 3.7. The Cubs are the top team in the league at limiting hits and walks to their opponents, recording a WHIP of 1.17 so far this season. Opponents have consistently been struck out by the Cubs, who lead the NL in strikeouts per game with 8.7.
The Cardinals are 22-8 against fellow NL Central members. St. Louis’s pitching staff has set the standard for its league, with an NL-low 2.59 ERA. When it comes to preventing batters from getting on base, the Cardinals are one of the best in the league with a WHIP of 1.19 for the season. The Cardinals have established a reputation of overwhelming hitters with an NL-best 8.1 strikeouts per game, making them one of the top five teams in the league.
The Cardinals have controlled the season series, 8-2. The Cubs have a perfect 4-0 record at home (7-4 overall) against left-handed starting pitchers, which is what they’ll be facing when Lyons takes the mound.
Predictions: SU Winner – STL
Notes
After last game’s shutout win against the Chicago Cubs, the Cardinals now have eight shutouts this season. The Cubs have been shut out in seven games this season.
The Cubs are 10-4 in games that go into extra innings. Meanwhile, the Cardinals are 6-5 in such matchups.
The Cardinals are coming into this game after allowing one walk during their last outing. The Cubs have a 2-9 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they outhit their opponents, the Cardinals are 36-9. The Cubs have a 29-7 record when outhitting opponents.
Chicago and St. Louis both rank near the bottom of the league in runs. Chicago sits at 24th with 314 runs this season and St. Louis ranks 22nd with 326.
Ranking 12th, St. Louis is in the top half of the league in walks, notching 249 this season. Chicago ranks in the top five at fourth with 271.
The Cubs are 27-15 when they hit at least one home run. The Cardinals perform similarly when they hit one or more homers with a 32-11 record.
