Jake Arrieta (9-0, 1.72 ERA) takes the hill for the Chicago Cubs (35-14) as they square off against Scott Kazmir (4-3, 4.84 ERA) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (27-25) in the second of a four-game series at Wrigley Field. The Cubs won the last game 2-0, continuing a six-game winning streak. Action begins at 8:05 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May. 31 and can be seen on WLS, SNLA and ESPN.
Arrieta pitched 5.0 innings in his last outing, surrendering four runs, striking out four and walking one in a 9-8 win over the Cardinals. Dexter Fowler (.316, 34 Rs, 6 HRs, 24 RBIs, 6 SBs) went 1 for 3 yesterday with one run. Kazmir went 6.0 innings, surrendering one run, striking out 12 and walking two in a 3-1 win over the Reds in his most recent start.
The odds for Chicago and Los Angeles are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable as of now. The Cubs have no trouble scoring as they rank fifth in the NL in home offense with 5.1 runs per game. Chicago leads the whole NL in walks, earning an average of 4.8 per game. Crossing over to the pitching and defensive side, it’s been a struggle for opposing teams to score runs against the Cubs. The 0.0 runs that Chicago’s pitchers allow per game makes them the top staff in the NL. The Cubs are the top team in the league at limiting hits and walks to their opponents, recording a WHIP of 1.049 so far this season.
Offensively, the Dodgers have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 0.0 runs per game by averaging 0.0 during that stretch. Los Angeles is excellent at drawing walks with 3.8 per road game, ranking third in the NL. The Dodgers allow 0.0 runs per game, but have improved upon those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 0.0 runs per game during that span. When it comes to preventing batters from getting on base, the Dodgers are one of the best in the league with a WHIP of 1.099 for the season.
The Cubs have the edge in the season series, 1-0.
Predictions: SU Winner – CHC
Notes
When leading after seven innings, Chicago is 19-4, while Los Angeles is 8-10.
The Dodgers didn’t score any runs in their last game. The Cubs have a 5-0 record when they don’t allow any runs.
When they outhit their opponents, the Cubs are 28-4. The Dodgers have a 22-3 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 11th, Los Angeles sits in the top half of the league in runs, scoring 224 this season. Chicago ranks in the top five at third with 275.
Chicago ranks at the top of the league when it comes to walks with 233 this season. Los Angeles ranks in the top 10 at eighth with 175.
The Cubs are 27-5 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Dodgers are 18-12 when they hit at least one homer.