Runs may be hard to come by in this one as Dan Haren (5-2, 3.03 ERA) and the Miami Marlins (21-32) go up against Jon Lester (4-3, 3.30 ERA) and the Chicago Cubs (27-23) in the last of a three-game series at Marlins Park. The Marlins won the last game 5-2 and the series is currently tied 1-1. The game gets underway at 7:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Jun. 3 and will air on WPWR and FSN-FL.
Haren is 2-3 with a 5.71 ERA against the Cubs in his career, but faces a less-than-stellar Chicago offense that’s hitting just .239 on the year. Dee Gordon (.367, 30 Rs, 14 RBIs, 20 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one run. In his pitching opportunities against the Marlins, Lester is 0-1 with a 3.60 ERA. He gets a strong Miami offense that’s batting .257. Anthony Rizzo (.317, 28 Rs, 9 HRs, 31 RBIs, 9 SBs) went 1 for 3 yesterday with one run and one RBI.
Miami is a +118 underdog in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at seven runs. The Marlins perform poorly as an underdog with a 10-16 record and have an overall money line of -1,365. Over the last 10 games, they have performed poorly when playing as the underdog (2-5).
Across the field, the Cubs have a record of 18-13 when they are favored and are +191 overall with the money line. Chicago is a terror on the base paths, ranking fifth in the MLB with 43 stolen bases. The Cubs are a problem for opposing batters, sporting a 3.61 ERA this season. They have a WHIP of 1.19 on the year, good for fifth in the league. The Chicago pitching staff has been an intimidating group this year, averaging an NL-best 8.9 strikeouts per game.
This game will feature Lester (LHP) on the mound against the Marlins, who have a 6-3 record when they take on a left-handed starter. Taking the hill against the Cubs will be the right-hander Haren. They sport a 23-19 record against righties.
Predictions: SU Winner – CHC, O/U – Over
Notes
The Cubs are 6-2 in games that go into extra innings. Meanwhile, the Marlins are 2-1 in such matchups.
The Cubs are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Marlins have an 8-22 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they outhit their opponents, the Marlins are 16-10. The Cubs have a 16-3 record when outhitting opponents.
Both falling near the bottom of the league based on total runs this season, Miami ranks 22nd with 200 runs and Chicago is 21st with 202.
Ranking 22nd, Miami is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 127 this season. Chicago ranks in the top five at fifth with 175.
The Marlins are 11-17 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Cubs are 19-10 when they hit at least one homer.
