Chicago (29-22) at Pittsburgh (28-26)
When: Wednesday, May 30th 2018
Where: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Time: 7:05 ET | TV: NBCS Chicago, AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh
Opening Odds: Chicago -125/8.5
Its taken two months for the Chicago Cubs to get going, but they have climbed past the St. Louis Cardinals and tonight’s opponent – the Pittsburgh Pirates – in the NL Central standings and are now setting their sites on the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cubs continued their winning ways at PNC Park (17-7 last 24) on Tuesday with an 8-6 victory and can sweep the reeling Pirates on Wednesday as Kyle Hendricks opposes Joe Musgrove. Anthony Rizzo continues to torment the Pirates and their fans with his aggressive play and hot bat. A day after making contact with catcher Elias Diaz on a controversial slide to break up a double play, Rizzo homered to set off a three-run seventh inning in Chicago’s win Tuesday. Although Rizzo was ruled safe on the slide and the call was upheld after a replay review, Major League Baseball said Tuesday that the slide was not legal and Rizzo should have been called out. He was booed in each of his at-bats Wednesday, but he went 2-for-3 with a double and a home run to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. Pittsburgh right fielder Gregory Polanco has been out of the lineup the past two games while he is mired in an 0-for-16 slump, but is 10-for-25 with two homers versus Hendricks. It was Pittsburgh’s fourth straight loss and its ninth in 11 games, while the Cubbies have won three straight overall and four in a row on the road.
Pitchers: Cubs – Kyle Hendricks (4-3, 3.16 ERA) | Pirates – Joe Musgrove (1-0, 0.00)
Hendricks boasts five quality starts in his last six outings and seven of his 10 starts this season. He’s coming off one of his best outings of the season, striking out seven and allowing only two hits, including a solo homer, over seven innings to beat San Francisco. Hendricks is 4-3 with a 3.21 ERA in 11 starts against the Pirates, including a 2-0 mark and a 3.00 ERA in five outings at PNC Park.
Musgrove received his first start of the season on Friday and pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing five hits in a win against St. Louis. Musgrove was back-and-forth between the rotation and bullpen the last two seasons with Houston, but had more success as a reliever. He is 9-12 with a 5.11 ERA in 26 career starts, including a loss to the Cubs in 2016.
These are two clubs going in opposite directions and the Cubs are on a roll offensively right now, scoring 6.6 runs a game in their last five. I don’t expect Musgrove to repeat his performance against the Giants here versus the Cubs. Chicago gets the sweep.
Pick: Cubs -125
BETTING TRENDS:
- Cubs are 4-1 in their last 5 road games.
- Cubs are 4-1 in their last 5 vs. National League Central.
- Cubs are 37-15 in their last 52 road games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Cubs are 2-5 in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Cubs are 2-6 in their last 8 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Cubs are 1-4 in their last 5 games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15.
- Cubs are 1-4 in their last 5 Wednesday games.
- Cubs are 4-1 in Hendricks’ last 5 road starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Cubs are 7-2 in Hendricks’ last 9 Wednesday starts.
- Cubs are 3-7 in Hendricks’ last 10 starts vs. National League Central.
- Cubs are 1-5 in Hendricks’ last 6 starts with 4 days of rest.
- Cubs are 0-4 in Hendricks’ last 4 starts during game 3 of a series.
- Pirates are 4-1 in their last 5 Wednesday games.
- Pirates are 5-2 in their last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Pirates are 2-6 in their last 8 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Pirates are 1-4 in their last 5 home games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Pirates are 1-4 in their last 5 vs. National League Central.
- Pirates are 1-4 in their last 5 games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15.
- Pirates are 2-8 in their last 10 overall.
- Pirates are 2-8 in their last 10 games on grass.
- Pirates are 1-6 in their last 7 home games.
- Pirates are 0-4 in their last 4 during game 3 of a series.
- Under is 4-0 in Cubs last 4 road games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 4-1 in Cubs last 5 overall.
- Under is 4-1 in Cubs last 5 on grass.
- Under is 4-1 in Cubs last 5 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Under is 4-1 in Cubs last 5 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 8-3-1 in Cubs last 12 vs. National League Central.
- Under is 5-2-1 in Cubs last 8 road games.
- Under is 5-2-1 in Cubs last 8 road games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Under is 36-15-2 in Cubs last 53 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Under is 4-0 in Hendricks’ last 4 starts during game 3 of a series.
- Under is 12-2 in Hendricks’ last 14 starts with 4 days of rest.
- Under is 9-2 in Hendricks’ last 11 starts vs. National League Central.
- Over is 4-1 in Hendricks’ last 5 road starts.
- Under is 21-6-1 in Hendricks’ last 28 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Over is 8-3 in Hendricks’ last 11 Wednesday starts.
- Under is 13-5 in Hendricks’ last 18 starts on grass.
- Under is 13-5 in Hendricks’ last 18 starts overall.
- Over is 5-2 in Hendricks’ last 7 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance.
- Over is 4-1-1 in Pirates last 6 during game 3 of a series.
- Over is 7-2 in Pirates last 9 Wednesday games.
- Under is 9-3-4 in Pirates last 16 games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15.
- Under is 3-1-2 in Pirates last 6 home games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 3-1-2 in Pirates last 6 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 5-2-2 in Pirates last 9 vs. National League Central.
- Under is 4-0 in Hendricks’ last 4 starts vs. Pirates.
- Under is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings in Pittsburgh.
- Cubs are 17-7 in the last 24 meetings in Pittsburgh.
