Chicago (51-36) at San Francisco (47-45)
When: Monday, July 9th 2018
Where: AT&T Park, San Francisco, CA
Time: 10:15 ET | TV: MLB Network
Opening Odds: Chicago -106/7.5
The Chicago Cubs are coming off a successful homestand in which they went 7-1 and now travel West to finish the first half of the season with a six-game trip. First up are the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on Monday night as Kyle Hendricks tries to turn things around when he opposes Andrew Suarez. The Cubs are surging with victories in nine of their last 11 games to move a season-high 15 games above .500, but they still trail Milwaukee by 1.5 in the NL Central. Chicago has trailed in every one of their last nine victories, including a 6-5 triumph in 10 innings Sunday against Cincinnati. The Cubs lead all of baseball with 28 come-from-behind victories. Cubs second baseman Javier Baez, who was named a starter for his first All-Star Game on Sunday, is 31-for-72 with 11 doubles, a triple, three home runs and 19 RBIs in his last 19 games. The Giants hit .167 as a team and scored a total of 10 runs over a six-game stretch before busting-out for 17 hits in a 13-8 victory over visiting St. Louis on Sunday. Top prospect Steven Duggar contributed two hits in his major-league debut for San Francisco while batting leadoff and playing center field. Brandon Belt, who is one of the five National League finalists for the All-Star Game, is 5-for-13 with a homer versus Hendricks.
Pitchers: Cubs – Kyle Hendricks (5-8, 4.27 ERA) | Giants – Andrew Suarez (3-5, 3.92)
Hendricks has had trouble finding the strike zone lately, which has contributed to him losing five of his last six decisions and posting a 6.29 ERA over his last seven. Hendricks issued 18 walks in five outings last month before limiting the number to one over five innings in a no-decision against Detroit on Tuesday. He is 3-2 with a 3.06 ERA in six career starts versus San Francisco.
Suarez has been really good lately, posting a solid 2.10 ERA over his last five starts, allowing fewer than three runs in each, but has recorded only one win over that stretch. Suarez struck out six and gave up one run over seven innings Wednesday at Colorado but was on the wrong end of a 1-0 decision. He is 1-2 with a 3.13 ERA in six home starts.
The Cubs are hot, but I don’t trust Hendricks right now. The Cubs are just 2-6 when he starts on the road and he was bombed in his last road start at Dodger Stadium a few weeks ago. I like the fact the Giants broke-out of their scoring slump with a big day yesterday.
Pick: Giants -105
BETTING TRENDS:
- Cubs are 8-1 in their last 9 overall.
- Cubs are 8-1 in their last 9 games on grass.
- Cubs are 14-3 in their last 17 games vs. a left-handed starter.
- Cubs are 37-16 in their last 53 Monday games.
- Cubs are 31-15 in their last 46 during game 1 of a series.
- Cubs are 4-13 in their last 17 road games vs. a left-handed starter.
- Cubs are 2-7 in their last 9 road games.
- Cubs are 1-5 in their last 6 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Cubs are 7-2 in Hendricks’ last 9 starts during game 1 of a series.
- Cubs are 6-2 in Hendricks’ last 8 Monday starts.
- Cubs are 2-5 in Hendricks’ last 7 starts vs. National League West.
- Cubs are 2-5 in Hendricks’ last 7 starts.
- Cubs are 2-5 in Hendricks’ last 7 starts on grass.
- Cubs are 1-4 in Hendricks’ last 5 road starts.
- Giants are 12-3 in their last 15 home games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Giants are 17-6 in their last 23 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Giants are 8-3 in their last 11 home games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Giants are 5-2 in their last 7 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Giants are 15-6 in their last 21 home games.
- Giants are 2-5 in their last 7 vs. National League Central.
- Giants are 1-4 in their last 5 Monday games.
- Giants are 1-5 in their last 6 overall.
- Giants are 1-5 in their last 6 games on grass.
- Giants are 2-5 in Suarez’s last 7 starts with 4 days of rest.
- Over is 6-1 in Cubs last 7 road games.
- Under is 5-1 in Cubs last 6 during game 1 of a series.
- Under is 6-2-1 in Cubs last 9 road games vs. a left-handed starter.
- Over is 11-4 in Cubs last 15 overall.
- Over is 11-4 in Cubs last 15 on grass.
- Over is 5-2 in Cubs last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 13-6-2 in Cubs last 21 Monday games.
- Under is 34-16-4 in Cubs last 54 vs. National League West.
- Over is 5-1 in Hendricks’ last 6 road starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 6-2 in Hendricks’ last 8 starts on grass.
- Under is 6-2 in Hendricks’ last 8 starts overall.
- Under is 20-7 in Hendricks’ last 27 starts during game 1 of a series.
- Under is 8-3-1 in Hendricks’ last 12 starts vs. National League West.
- Over is 5-2 in Hendricks’ last 7 road starts.
- Under is 34-16-1 in Hendricks’ last 51 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Over is 6-1-1 in Giants last 8 Monday games.
- Under is 5-1 in Giants last 6 overall.
- Under is 5-1 in Giants last 6 on grass.
- Under is 4-1 in Giants last 5 during game 1 of a series.
- Under is 8-2 in Giants last 10 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 6-2 in Giants last 8 home games.
- Under is 5-2 in Giants last 7 home games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Under is 7-3 in Giants last 10 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Over is 4-1-1 in Suarez’s last 6 starts during game 1 of a series.
- Under is 3-1-1 in Suarez’s last 5 starts following a team loss in their previous game.
- Under is 4-1-1 in Hendricks’ last 6 starts vs. Giants.
- Over is 6-2-1 in the last 9 meetings in San Francisco.
- Cubs are 2-5 in the last 7 meetings in San Francisco.
