Chicago Cubs (0-1) at NY Mets (1-0)
When: Sunday, October 18th, 2015
Where: Citi Field, Flushing, NY
Time: 8:05 ET
TV: TBS Radio: XM 183, 89
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Matt Harvey limited the Chicago Cubs to 4 hits over 7.2 innings while Daniel Murphy and Travis d’Arnaud homered off Jon Lester and the New York Mets beat the Cubs 4-2 Saturday night in the opener of the National League Championship Series. Harvey allowed 2 runs and struck out 9, leaving after Kyle Schwarber’s 459-foot home run. Jeurys Familia finished for the save, with Murphy making a diving stop at second base for the final out. Murphy put the Mets ahead in the first, matching a team record by homering in his third straight postseason game. Starlin Castro tied the score in the fifth with an RBI double over center fielder Juan Lagares, but Curtis Granderson’s RBI single gave the Mets a 2-1 lead in the bottom half. D’Arnaud homered in the sixth, a drive that clanked off the celebratory home run apple behind the center-field wall, and Granderson made it 4-2 with a seventh-inning sacrifice fly that chased Lester. It was the Mets first victory over Chicago this year and it couldn’t have come at a bigger time. The Cubs will need to win tonight to avoid going down 2-0 before heading back to Chicago.
Jake Arrieta might just be what the Cubs need to salvage a split in New York. He’s been nothing short of amazing this season. Arrieta struck out nine in 5 2/3 innings against St. Louis in his last start, but he also allowed four runs and five hits. He’ll be pitching on full rest this time and should fare better. Before that he hadn’t allowed a run in his previous four starts. He allowed only 2 runs in 16 innings against the Mets this season while striking out 17. Noah Syndergaard made one start and a relief appearance in the NLDS against the Dodgers. He allowed three runs in 7.1 innings while striking out 11. Synergaard lost his only start against the Cubs this year way back on May 12th.
I fully expect Arrieta to be on his game tonight and I think the Cubs can get to Syndergaard. When the pressure mounts, the Cubs seem to answer. This series was made to go 7, so I’m taking the Cubs tonight.
Pick: Cubs -165
