Jon Lester (3-1, 1.57 ERA) and Cesar Vargas (0-1, 1.10 ERA) take the hill in the first of a three-game series between the Chicago Cubs (24-6) and the San Diego Padres (13-19) at Wrigley Field. The Cubs come into this series hoping to extend a seven-game winning streak. Action begins at 8:05 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May. 10 and can be seen on WPWR and FSSD.
Lester pitched 5.2 innings in his most recent start, surrendering zero runs, striking out five and walking two in a 6-2 win over the Pirates. Anthony Rizzo (.270, 26 Rs, 10 HRs, 28 RBIs, 2 SBs) continued his strong play Sunday, going 2 for 6. Vargas went 6.0 innings, surrendering one run, striking out three and walking three in a 2-0 defeat to the Rockies in his last outing. Matt Kemp (.279, 15 Rs, 8 HRs, 23 RBIs) went 1 for 4 Sunday.
The odds for Chicago and San Diego are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently not available. The Cubs have no trouble scoring as they lead the NL in offense with 0.0 runs per game. Chicago leads the whole NL in walks, earning an average of 5.2 per game. Opposing batters know they’re in for a battle when they play Chicago. The Cubs are the top team when it comes to pitching, allowing a league-low 0.0 runs per game. The Cubs are the top team in the league at limiting hits and walks to their opponents, recording a WHIP of 1.034 so far this season.
Offensively, the Padres 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. San Diego is excellent at making contact with just 9.5 strikeouts per game, ranking second in the NL. The Padres 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 hits, the Padres are third in the NL on the road with an average of 7.1 hits allowed per away game.
Predictions: SU Winner – CHC
Notes
When leading after seven innings, Chicago is 15-0, while San Diego is 6-9.
The Padres managed to give up four walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Cubs who are heading in with a 20-4 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they are outhit, the Padres are 3-13. The Cubs have a 2-5 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking 25th in home runs, San Diego has hit 25 this season. Chicago ranks 11th with 37 home runs.
Ranking 23rd, San Diego is near the bottom of the league in hits, notching 7.91 per game. Chicago ranks in the top 10 at eighth with 8.97.
Ranking 29th, San Diego is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.656). Chicago ranks in the top five at third with an OPS of .812.
The Padres are 6-11 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The Cubs are 10-3 when they allow at least one homer.
